## The Staff Western music is typically notated on a **staff** consisting of five lines and four spaces, as shown in **Example 1**. We generally refer to each line or space by its numbered position from the bottom. For example, when we say “fourth line” we mean “the fourth line from the bottom of the staff.” **Example 1.** A staff comprising five lines and four spaces. ![[staff example 1.png]] Musical sounds are represented on the staff as **notes**, symbols that indicate both pitch and duration. Notes that are written higher on the staff sound higher in pitch while notes that are written lower on the staff sound lower in pitch. In **Example 2** below, the second note sounds the highest while the fourth note sounds the lowest. **Example 2.** A staff with notes. ![[staff example 2.png]] ## Ledger Lines As shown in **Example 3**, the staff may be extended in either direction through the use of **ledger lines**, short lines used for writing notes that are too high or too low for the staff. **Example 3.** A staff with ledger lines below and above. ![[staff example 3.png]] When notating music, it is a common mistake to add too many ledgers. Notes below the staff do not need any ledger lines below them while notes above the staff do not need any ledger lines above them. **Example 4** below shows a side-by-side comparison between the correct and incorrect usage of ledger lines. **Example 4.** Correct vs. incorrect usage of ledger lines. ![[staff example 4.png]] ## Notation of Pitch Before we can associate specific pitches with the lines and spaces of the staff, we must learn about [[Clefs]].