Reading the Stave
A guide to staves, note placement, and musical intervals
The musical stave is the foundation of written music. Understanding how notes are placed on the stave and the distances between them unlocks the ability to read and write music.
Did you know? The five-line stave system we use today was standardised around the 11th century by Guido of Arezzo, an Italian monk who revolutionised music notation.
01
The Musical Stave
A stave (or staff in American English) consists of five horizontal lines and four spaces. Each line and space represents a different musical pitch.
Notes can be placed on lines or in spaces. Each position represents a specific pitch.
What are Clefs?
A clef is a symbol placed at the beginning of the stave that tells us which notes correspond to which lines and spaces. Think of it as setting the "key" for reading the stave.
02
Treble Clef (G Clef)
The treble clef (also called the G clef) is used for higher-pitched instruments and voices. The curl of the clef wraps around the G line.
Lines (bottom to top)
"Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit"
Spaces (bottom to top)
Spells "FACE"
03
Bass Clef (F Clef)
The bass clef (also called the F clef) is used for lower-pitched instruments and voices. The two dots surround the F line.
Lines (bottom to top)
"Good Boys Do Fine Always"
Spaces (bottom to top)
"All Cows Eat Grass"
04
Leger Lines
Leger lines (or ledger lines) extend the stave above and below to accommodate notes that are too high or too low for the standard five lines.
Leger lines are short lines that extend in both directions. They follow the same pattern as the stave lines—each line and space represents the next note in the sequence. Notes in spaces immediately above or below the stave (like G and D) don't require leger lines.
05
Musical Intervals
An interval is the distance between two notes. Intervals are named by counting the number of letter names from one note to another, including both the starting and ending notes.
How to Count Intervals
= 3rd (third)
Two adjacent notes
(e.g., C to D)
Skip one letter name
(e.g., C to E)
Four letter names
(e.g., C to F)
Five letter names
(e.g., C to G)
Six letter names
(e.g., C to A)
Same note, 8 steps up
(e.g., C to C)
Interval Quality: Intervals also have qualities like major, minor, perfect, augmented, and diminished. A 3rd can be major (4 semitones) or minor (3 semitones). A 4th or 5th is usually called "perfect" when it follows the major scale pattern.
06
Interactive Note Finder
Test your knowledge! Click on the stave where you think the note should be placed.
Find note: G
Key Takeaways
The Stave
Five lines and four spaces that represent different pitches
Clefs
Symbols that tell us which notes correspond to which positions
Note Names
Seven letter names (A-G) repeat throughout the stave
Intervals
The distance between notes, counted by letter names
Mastering the stave and intervals is essential for reading music fluently. Practice identifying notes on both treble and bass clefs, and you'll soon be reading music with ease!