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Piano · Lesson 6 of 10

Reading notes: the bass clef

Low notes are written in the bass clef. Its two dots sit either side of the fourth line from the bottom, which makes that line F (the F below middle C, F3). That's why it's also called the F clef. Left-hand music is usually written here.

From the bottom, the bass lines are G B D F A ("Good Boys Do Fine Always") and the spaces are A C E G ("All Cows Eat Grass"). Middle C sits on a ledger line just above the bass staff.

Piano music puts a treble staff and a bass staff together, joined by a brace: the grand staff. Middle C is the note between them, on a ledger line below the treble staff or above the bass staff. It's the same key either way.

GABCDEFGAC
The bass clef up to middle C. Lines: G B D F A. Spaces: A C E G.

Practice

The lines

Play the note on the bass staff. These are all lines: G B D F A.

Computer keys: A S D… for the white keys, W E T… for the black keys, Z X move an octave.

More info

Tips

  • The same rhymes work for both clefs if you remember that bass notes sit one line or space lower than treble notes with the same name: treble's bottom line is E, bass's is G.

Playing the exercises

Use a MIDI keyboard (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera), the computer keys (A S D… for white keys, W E T… for black keys, Z X to move an octave), or tap the keys on the screen. A key lights up after a couple of wrong tries.

The answers

  1. Which line do the two dots of the bass clef surround? F, the fourth line. The dots sit either side of the fourth line from the bottom and name it F, so it's also called the F clef.
  2. What are the spaces of the bass staff, from the bottom? A C E G. All Cows Eat Grass: A C E G. The lines are G B D F A.
  3. Where is middle C on the grand staff? Between the two staffs, on a ledger line. Middle C sits between the staffs, on a ledger line just below the treble staff or just above the bass staff.
  4. In the bass clef, which note is on the bottom line? G. Good Boys Do Fine Always: the bottom line of the bass staff is G.