The Treble Clef
The treble clef is perhaps the most commonly used clef. It is used for high-pitched instruments such as the piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, guitar, and trumpet, and for the right-hand part in keyboard music.
The treble clef fixes the note G above middle C onto the second line of the staff (click "Show Me" in the example below). Note how the treble clef circles around the second line from the bottom. From this G line, the names of all of the other lines and spaces can be determined in consecutive ascending or descending order.
The treble clef is also known as the "G Clef," since it has its origins in a stylized version of the letter G (as illustrated -click "Show Me" to launch the interactive example below and then click notes on the staff or on the keyboard to see how they relate to each other). Notice particularly how consecutive letter names occupy consecutive lines and spaces in the treble staff, ascending from E on the bottom line to F on the top line.
This example also demonstrates how the notes on the treble staff correspond to specific keys on the keyboard. Click on the keyboard or on the staff to see this correspondence between the keys of the keyboard and the notes on the staff.
Music Example
Georg Philipp Telemann's (1681-1767) Fantasia for Flute no. 10 in F-sharp minor illustrates the use of the treble clef.
Telemann: Fantasia No. 10 in F-sharp Minor
Amy Porter (Flute)
Mnemonics
Mnemonics (from the Greek word meaning to remember) are devices such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assist in remembering something. They often are catchy or humorous phrases used to remember a series of items. Mnemonics help students learn the lines and spaces of the different clefs. One of the mnemonics commonly used for remembering the location of the notes on the treble staff are "Every Good Boy Does Fine" (lines) and "FACE" (spaces).
Treble Clef
(Bottom to Top)
E G B D F
| Every | Good | Boy | Does | Fine |
F A C E
| F | A | C | E |
Remember
- The treble clef marks the second line on the staff as G4
- The lines in the treble staff are E-G-B-D-F
- The spaces in the treble staff are F-A-C-E
The full range of pitches on the treble staff ranges from octave 3 through octave 6, as shown in the example below.
The pitches on the treble staff
Take a minute to commit these pitches to memory. Use the mnemonic patterns above to help you get started. However, your ultimate goal should be to be able to read the pitches of the treble clef fluently. Be sure to learn the octave numbers as well as the pitch names.
Core Skill
- Memorize and recite quickly and accurately the pitches that correspond to the lines and spaces in the treble clef.
- Memorize and recite quickly and accurately the full range of pitches in the treble clef from octave three to octave six.
- Draw the treble clef properly.