A clef is a musical symbol placed at the beginning of every staff to define which pitches the lines and spaces represent. Understanding clefs is the first step to reading any piece of sheet music.
The treble clef is the most common clef in Western music. Its curl wraps around the second line from the bottom, naming that line G — hence "G clef". It's used by high-register instruments: violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, and the right hand of the piano. The lines (bottom to top) spell E-G-B-D-F; the spaces spell F-A-C-E.
The bass clef's two dots surround the fourth line from the bottom, naming it F — hence "F clef". It covers the lower register and is used by cello, double bass, bassoon, trombone, tuba, and the left hand of the piano. Lines: G-B-D-F-A. Spaces: A-C-E-G.
The grand staff joins treble and bass clefs with a vertical brace. This is the standard layout for piano, harp, and organ. The right hand typically reads the upper (treble) staff and the left hand reads the lower (bass) staff. Middle C sits on a ledger line exactly between the two staves.
The alto clef centres on the middle line, which represents middle C. It is the standard clef for the viola, keeping the instrument's core register centred on the staff without excessive ledger lines. Some alto trombone parts also use it.
The tenor clef also centres on a C line — specifically the fourth line from the bottom. Cellists, bassoonists and trombonists switch to tenor clef when playing in their upper register to avoid ledger lines. It is common in advanced orchestral and solo repertoire.
Choose based on your instrument's range. Violin, flute, trumpet: treble. Cello, bassoon, trombone: bass (with tenor for upper register). Viola: alto. Piano: grand staff (both). Browse our instrument-specific staff paper to download the right clef for your instrument.