Plain Music Theory

Ledger lines: notes above and below the staff

Ledger lines are short extra lines drawn above or below the staff for notes too high or too low to fit on its five lines. They continue the pattern of lines and spaces, so you count up or down from the staff one step at a time. The first ledger line below treble clef is middle C.

A staff has only five lines, but music does not stop at the top or the bottom of them. When a note is too high or too low, the composer draws a small extra line, just long enough for the notehead, and puts the note on it. That small line is called a ledger line (sometimes spelled leger line). It acts as a short piece of the staff, so the same rule applies: notes go on lines or in spaces, and each step is the next letter. This page shows how to read the ones that come up most often.

CDEFABCD
Ledger lines below and above the treble staff. The first note, C4, is on one ledger line below the staff.

What are ledger lines used for?

Ledger lines let one staff cover a much larger range. Without them, you would need a different clef for every few notes. With them, a piano part can wander well beyond the five lines and still use the same clef. A note can have one ledger line, or many. The notes just above and below the staff are the ones you will see most, and music with many ledger lines in a row is usually a sign that a clef change would be easier to read.

What notes are on ledger lines in the treble clef?

Below the treble staff, the space just under the bottom line is D, and the first ledger line is middle C. Next comes the space below that line, B, then the second ledger line, A. Above the staff, the space just over the top line is G, the first ledger line is A, the space above it is B, and the second ledger line is C. Notes below the staff go down in pitch as they go down, and notes above it go up.

DCBAGABC
On the left, notes below the treble staff: D (space below), C (first ledger line), B (space), A (second ledger line). On the right, notes above it.

What notes are on ledger lines in the bass clef?

Above the bass staff, the space just over the top line is B, and the first ledger line is middle C. Then D in the next space, and E on the second ledger line. Below the bass staff, the space under the bottom line is F, the first ledger line is E, the space under it is D and the second ledger line is C. The pattern is the same as in the treble clef: each ledger line adds one step to the staff.

BCDEFEDC
Ledger lines above the bass staff (B, C, D, E) and below it (F, E, D, C). Middle C is the first ledger line above.

How do I count ledger line notes?

The method is the same everywhere. Find the nearest line or space on the staff, then count steps. Each step is the next line or space, which is the next letter of the alphabet in order, going up, or the previous one going down. For notes with several ledger lines, it helps to count the lines and spaces together. Try not to count the ledger lines alone, because the spaces between them matter as much.

  1. Find the top line (or bottom line) of the staff and say its name.
  2. Move one step at a time, saying the letter for each line and each space.
  3. Stop on the line or space of your note.
  4. Check the clef, because the same position has a different name in each clef.

Memory trick: The second ledger line above the treble staff is C, one octave above middle C (C6). The note on the first ledger line below the treble staff is C too, which is middle C.

What is the 8va sign?

When a part has many ledger lines in a row, the composer may use an 8va sign (for ottava, Italian for octave). A dashed line over the notes with 8va tells you to play them one octave higher than written. Written 8va under the notes with a line, or 8vb, means one octave lower. This keeps the page tidy and easy to read.

The 8va (ottava alta) sign. Notes under the dashed line are played one octave higher than written.

How should ledger lines be drawn?

Ledger lines are drawn the same distance apart as the staff lines, and they are wide enough only for the notehead plus a little on each side. In engraved music they never connect to each other across notes. When two notes sit on the same ledger line, they share it. Hand-written music can be messier, but the spacing is the key: if the spaces get uneven, a note might be read one step off. Use staff paper with clear lines if you want to practice writing them.

Why do ledger lines look hard?

Reading many ledger lines is difficult because the eye cannot take in the line pattern at a glance. Students are often slower on them, and it is normal. A good solution is to learn a few anchor notes, such as middle C, high A (the first ledger line above treble) and low E (the first ledger line below bass). With a landmark, counting becomes much shorter. See how to read sheet music for more strategies.

Check yourself

1. What are ledger lines?

2. What is this note on the first ledger line below the treble staff?

3. What is this note on the first ledger line above the treble staff?

4. What is this note on the first ledger line below the bass staff?

5. What does an 8va sign over notes mean?