BazzLow
ENIT
Module 3 · Lesson 2

The staff and the bass clef

Name any note written on the bass clef staff, including ledger lines.

Before this lesson: 1.1 The musical alphabet · 3.1 Bass tablature

Standard notation can look intimidating, but for the bass it uses just one clef and a handful of lines. This lesson teaches where each note lives.

The staff

The staff (or stave) has 5 lines and 4 spaces, counted from the bottom. The higher a note sits on the staff, the higher its pitch.

The bass clef

A clef at the start of the staff fixes which note is on which line. Bass parts use the bass clef, also called the F clef: its two dots sit on either side of the 4th line, which is the note F (F3).

Bass clef staffThe bass clef staff. Lines from the bottom: G B D F A. Spaces from the bottom: A C E G.LinesGBDFASpacesACEG
The bass clef staff. Lines from the bottom: G B D F A. Spaces from the bottom: A C E G.

Bottom to top, the lines are G B D F A and the spaces are A C E G.

English speakers use memory aids: “Good Boys Do Fine Always” for the lines and “All Cows Eat Grass” for the spaces.

Ledger lines

Ledger lines are short extra lines for notes above or below the staff. Middle C (C4) is on the first ledger line above the bass clef staff. Bass parts often go below the staff:

  • the space just under the bottom line is F;
  • the first ledger line below is E;
  • the space under it is D;
  • the second ledger line below is C.
Bass clef staffLedger lines. Middle C on the first ledger line above the staff; then, below the staff: F in the space under the bottom line, E on the first ledger line, D in the space under it, C on the second ledger line.CFEDC
Ledger lines. Middle C on the first ledger line above the staff; then, below the staff: F in the space under the bottom line, E on the first ledger line, D in the space under it, C on the second ledger line.

The open strings on the staff

This is where the open strings are written. (Lesson 3.3 explains the octave.)

  • E string: first ledger line below the staff;
  • A: bottom space;
  • D: middle line;
  • G: top space;
  • B on a 5-string: the space below the second ledger line below.
Bass neck, frets 0–12The five open strings on the neck: G D A E B from top to bottom.GDAEB0123GDAEB
The five open strings on the neck: G D A E B from top to bottom.
Bass clef staffThe same open strings written on the staff, lowest first: B (5-string only) in the space below the second ledger line, E on the first ledger line below the staff, A in the bottom space, D on the middle line, G in the top space.BEADG
The same open strings written on the staff, lowest first: B (5-string only) in the space below the second ledger line, E on the first ledger line below the staff, A in the bottom space, D on the middle line, G in the top space.

The treble clef

The treble clef (G clef) is used for higher instruments and the piano’s right hand. Bassists meet it rarely, mostly for high solo passages. It is not covered further here.

Try it

Name the notes in the first diagram aloud from bottom to top, lines then spaces, without looking at the labels. Then play the open strings while pointing at where they are written in the last staff.

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