Reading the grand staff: treble and bass clef together
Most band instruments read a single clef. Piano, harp, and marimba read two at once, on a grand staff. It's also the best way to see how treble and bass clef connect. Once you can see that connection, switching clefs gets much easier.
What a grand staff is
A grand staff is a treble staff on top of a bass staff, joined at the left by a brace and a line through both staves. The top staff usually covers the higher notes (the right hand on piano). The bottom staff covers the lower notes (the left hand).
- Treble staff lines, bottom to top: E G B D F. Spaces: F A C E.
- Bass staff lines, bottom to top: G B D F A. Spaces: A C E G.
Who reads it
Pianists and keyboard players in jazz band read it all the time. So do harpists and marimba players, especially in four-mallet music. Conductor scores and piano reductions use it too. It also helps any student learning a second clef, because it shows how the two clefs fit together.
Middle C connects the staves
Middle C sits exactly between the two staves. On the treble staff it's the first ledger line below. On the bass staff it's the first ledger line above. Both show the same pitch. The two staves really form one tall staff with middle C in the gap.
So the bass staff doesn't start over from nothing. It continues down from the treble staff. Go down from the bottom treble line (E) and you pass D, then middle C, then B in the space above the bass staff, then A on the top bass line.
Notes around middle C
The notes closest to middle C are the ones players mix up most, because they sit just outside each staff.
| Note | Treble staff | Bass staff |
|---|---|---|
| E | Bottom line | 2nd ledger line above |
| D | Space below the staff | Space above 1st ledger line |
| Middle C | 1st ledger line below | 1st ledger line above |
| B | Space below 1st ledger line | Space above the staff |
| A | 2nd ledger line below | Top line |
In most grand staff music, notes above middle C go on the treble staff and notes below it go on the bass staff. Middle C can go on either one. Composers put a note on the other staff when it keeps the music easier to read, such as when one hand crosses middle C.
Landmarks on each staff
Each clef marks its own landmark. The treble clef is a G clef: its curl wraps around the G line (2nd line). The bass clef is an F clef: its two dots sit on either side of the F line (4th line). With middle C in between, that gives you three notes to read from.
| Landmark | Where it is |
|---|---|
| Treble G | 2nd line of the treble staff |
| Middle C | Ledger line between the staves |
| Bass F | 4th line of the bass staff |
These three are evenly spaced: treble G is a fifth above middle C, and bass F is a fifth below. Find the nearest landmark and read by step and skip from there, just as you would on a single staff. For more on each clef, see treble clef lines and spaces and bass clef ledger lines.
Practicing on the grand staff
Open Note Trainer, set the clef to Both and switch on Grand staff. Notes above middle C appear on the treble staff, notes below it appear on the bass staff, and middle C can appear on either. Ledger line settings add lines above the treble staff and below the bass staff.
- Start with no ledger lines and the staff guide on.
- Say whether the note is above or below middle C before you name it.
- Hide the staff guide once you can name notes on both staves without counting.
- Add ledger lines one at a time, starting with the direction your music needs.