Treble clef notes and how to read them
On the treble clef the five lines, from bottom to top, are E G B D F, and the four spaces are F A C E. The clef's curl circles the line for G, so it is also called the G clef. It is used for higher notes, such as the right hand on piano, violin, flute and most voices.
The treble clef is the symbol you see at the start of most sheet music. It marks the staff for higher-sounding notes. Once you know the names of its four spaces and five lines, you can read the melody of almost any song. This page shows every note on the treble staff, two ways to remember them, and how to read the notes that go above and below it.
What are the line notes on the treble clef?
Count the lines from the bottom up. The first line is E, the second is G, the third is B, the fourth is D and the fifth is F. Each line is the next-but-one letter, which is why the line notes skip every other letter of the musical alphabet. A common sentence to remember them is Every Good Boy Does Fine. Other versions are fine too: Every Good Band Deserves Fun, or any silly phrase of your own.
What are the space notes on the treble clef?
The four spaces, from the bottom up, spell the word FACE: F, A, C, E. This is the easiest memory trick in music reading, since the spaces make a real word. Lines and spaces together give you every letter in turn, so if you know a line note, the space above it is the next letter and the space below is the one before.
Why is the treble clef called the G clef?
The curl at the bottom of the clef wraps around the second line from the bottom. That line is G above middle C (G4). The clef is in fact a fancy, decorated letter G, and it tells you where G lives. Older music used the same sign on other lines, but the second line has been standard for centuries. Because of this you can use G as a landmark: find the curl, and you have found the note G.
What are the notes above and below the treble staff?
Just above the top line is a space, which is G. Just below the bottom line is a space, which is D. After that the music continues on short extra lines called ledger lines. The first ledger line below the staff is middle C, and the first ledger line above is A. High notes can also be marked with an 8va sign, which tells you to play an octave higher than written.
How do I read notes quickly on the treble clef?
Many teachers prefer landmark notes to the sentences above. You learn two or three notes by heart, then count from the nearest one. Counting steps works fast because each line or space is one letter away from the next. The landmarks that suit the treble clef are middle C (one ledger line below), treble G (the line the clef curls around) and the top-line F.
- Middle C: below the staff on its own ledger line.
- Treble G: the second line, circled by the clef.
- High F: the top line (F5), an octave above the bottom space F.
Practice tip: Say the names of the notes in a simple song out loud, in time, before you play. Do it for a few minutes every day for a week and the notes will become automatic.
What are the treble clef notes on the piano and other instruments?
A violinist plays the note that is written, and a pianist presses the key with the same name. The treble clef is the clef of most melodies, so singing the notes by name while you play them helps you connect the symbol to the sound. Keep a steady pace while reading, and look ahead one note at a time rather than staring at the note you are playing.
Who uses the treble clef?
The treble clef is used for the right hand on piano, the upper staff of the grand staff, violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, guitar (which sounds an octave lower than written), and for soprano and alto voices. Tenor parts in choir music are often written in treble clef too. When the music goes lower than the treble clef holds, it switches to the bass clef, and violas read the alto clef.
Which keys on the piano are the treble clef notes?
The white key just left of the group of two black keys near the middle of the piano is C. The treble staff covers the keys from that middle C to about two octaves above. In the picture below the notes of the treble lines are marked on the keys. See also piano notes for the whole match between keys and staff.
Treble clef note chart
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Check yourself
1. What are the lines of the treble clef, from the bottom up?
Answer: E G B D F. The treble lines are E G B D F. The spaces are F A C E.
2. What is this note?
Answer: C. It is the second space from the bottom, which is C, since the spaces spell F A C E.
3. Which line does the treble clef curl around?
Answer: The second line. The curl circles the second line from the bottom, which is G.
4. What is this note on the first ledger line below the staff?
Answer: Middle C. The first ledger line below the treble staff is middle C.
5. What word do the spaces of the treble clef spell?
Answer: FACE. From the bottom, the spaces are F A C E.