What is a clef?
Q: What is a clef?
A: A clef is a sign at the beginning of a staff of music which makes it possible for the player to work out what the notes are.
Q: What does "clef" mean?
A: The word “clef” is a French word meaning “key”. The original Latin word is “clavis”, meaning key.
Q: What does the staff consist of?
A: The staff (or “stave”) consists of five lines across the page. The notes are placed on these lines and in these spaces.
Q: How much music can be covered by one staff?
A: The staff is only large enough to cover one and a half octaves of music (a bit more with ledger lines).
Q: Why do different clefs need to be used?
A: Different clefs are used for high music and for low music because one staff cannot cover all ranges of notes.
