**Clefs** are symbols place at the beginning of the staff that assign specific pitches to the lines and spaces of the staff. In Western music, we identify pitches using the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. These letters correspond to the white keys on the [[Piano Keyboard]]. The two most commonly used clefs are the **treble clef** and the **bass clef**. ## Treble Clef As shown in **Example 1**, the treble clef (also known as the G clef) points to G4 and assigns it to the second line of the staff. **Example 1.** A treble clef staff with notes corresponding to the white keys on the piano. ![[clefs example 1.png]] The treble clef originated as a stylized G. Notice that the bottom part of the clef circles around the second line, identifying it as G4. As shown in **Example 2** below, this detail is important to capture when writing treble clefs by hand in order to avoid assigning G4 to other lines. **Example 2.** Handwritten treble clefs drawn correctly and incorrectly. ![[clefs example 2.png]] ## Bass Clef As shown in **Example 3**, the bass clef (also known as the F clef) points to F3 and assigns it to the fourth line of the staff. **Example 3.** A bass clef staff with notes corresponding to the white keys on the piano. ![[clefs example 3.png]] The bass clef originated as a stylized F. Notice the two dots on both sides of the fourth line. As with the treble clef, be as detailed as possible when writing bass clefs to avoid assigning it to other lines. ## C Clefs Less common, but still in use today are the **C clefs**, a group of movable clefs that point to C4. **Example 4** shows the five C clefs, with each clef assigning C4 to a different line of the staff. Notice that a higher placement of the clef on the staff corresponds to a lower voice part. ![[clefs example 4.png]] Of the five clefs mentioned above, the **alto clef** and **tenor clef** are the most frequently encountered.