1a Overview - Pitches and Clefs

Most college music students are familiar with basic music notation – treble and bass clefs, staves, ledger lines, and accidentals – although they are usually far more comfortable when working in the clef most associated with their primary instrument or voice-part. It is vital that music students be fluent in not only these two most common clefs, but also with two additional clefs: alto clef and tenor clef. These clefs are commonly used for instruments such as viola, cell, trombone, and bassoon. Clefs are an essential way for a composer to communicate range, so it is imperative that you become as comfortable reading music in all of the most common clefs.

Alto and tenor clefs are known as the C-clefs. Similarly, treble clef can be called a G-clef, and bass clef can be called an F-clef.

In the examples for this topic, try to determine:

• the order of pitch names for each clef’s lines and spaces
• why alto and tenor clefs are called C-clefs
• any tips or tricks that may make recognizing these clefs easier and reading these clefs simpler
  • Many students begin their studies of clefs by relating the unfamiliar clefs to their most familiar clef.