Tenor clef: how to read it, with a note chart

The tenor clef solves a practical problem. A cello, bassoon or trombone often plays notes that sit around and above middle C. In the bass clef those notes pile up on ledger lines, which is hard to read. In the treble clef the low notes would need ledger lines instead. The tenor clef moves the staff up so that the high notes of these instruments fit comfortably on the five lines. This page shows the tenor clef note by note, with a chart you can use for practice.

What is the tenor clef?

The tenor clef is one of the C clefs. A C clef always points at middle C with the center of its symbol. In the alto clef the center points at the middle line. In the tenor clef it points at the fourth line from the bottom, which is the second line from the top. That is all you need to remember: the line the clef points to is middle C, and everything else follows by counting.

What are the lines and spaces of the tenor clef?

The lines from the bottom are D, F, A, C and E. The spaces from the bottom are E, G, B and D. Above the top line the next space is F, and below the bottom line the next space is C (an octave below middle C). The chart below lists every position.

Which instruments use the tenor clef?

The tenor clef is used mostly for the upper range of the cello, the bassoon, the euphonium and the trombone. A cellist reads bass clef for low notes, then switches to tenor clef when the music climbs, and to treble clef for the very highest notes. Orchestral parts mark each switch with a new clef sign in the middle of the line, which is a smaller version of the clef. Singers in the past also used it: tenor voice parts in older choral editions are written in this clef.

How does tenor clef compare with other clefs?

The same note, middle C, is written on a different place in each clef. On the treble clef it is on a ledger line below the staff. On the bass clef it is on a ledger line above. On the alto clef it is on the middle line, and on the tenor clef it is on the fourth line. Compare the clefs and you will see that moving the C clef up or down the staff just slides the same five lines over a different set of notes.

How can I learn to read tenor clef?

Do not translate tenor clef notes into another clef in your head. That is slow, and it breaks down in fast music. Learn the clef directly. First memorize middle C on the fourth line. Then learn its neighbors: the space above is D, the line above is E, and the space below is B. After a few days of reading easy melodies out loud, you will find the others by counting.

1. Locate the clef and find the line it points at: that is middle C.
2. Name the notes next to it: B below, D above.
3. Add the next ones out: A below, E above.
4. Read a simple scale out loud, going up and down.
5. Play it on your instrument.

Tenor clef or treble clef for tenor singers?

Choirs today usually print the tenor part in treble clef, often with a small 8 under the clef, or without it. The 8 means the notes sound an octave lower than written. Tenors then read the treble clef they already know. Some older editions and vocal scores still use the real tenor clef. Both ways give the same sound, so a singer should learn whichever the choir uses.

Once you are comfortable with all four clefs, you will find that reading is not harder in one than in another. It is only a matter of knowing where middle C lives on the staff. See middle C and the grand staff for the larger map.

Tenor clef note chart

Check yourself

Related pages

• Alto clef: how to read notes in the C clef
• Bass clef notes and how to read them
• Treble clef notes and how to read them
• Where is middle C on the piano and staff?
• The grand staff: treble and bass clef together
• Ledger lines: notes above and below the staff