Lesson Summary

The structure of music and notes is easy to grasp. In this lesson, we go over the Treble Clef (also known as G Clef) staff and the Bass Clef (also known as F Clef) staff, which each have 5 lines and 4 spaces. To practice, you'll draw both clefs and staffs on blank paper, as well as on staff paper.

Correction for the video: At 1:09 I say "first space" but it should be "first line."

Transcript

Staff and clefs

[00:00:00] Okay, our first lesson is going to be giving you the overall structure of what you would see in music. So this is called a Treble Clef. It is also called a G clef, and I'll tell you why in a minute. This one is called the bass clef, and it's also called an F clef. So each of these clefs have five lines and four spaces.

The way you count the lines is from bottom to top. So this is first line, second line, third line, fourth line, fifth line. And, the way you count the spaces is bottom to top. First space, second space, third space, fourth space. So same thing on the bass clef, first, second, third, fourth, fifth lines, and first, second, third, fourth spaces.

So because of these very specific clefs, it's always telling you what these notes are. [00:01:00] So if you put a note here, Always that is an E because we are in the treble clef, and this is the first line. If you put a note here, that is always G, because this is the fourth space of the bass clef. Now, the reason why this is called a G clef is because this circle of the treble clef is circling the G.

This is a G right here on the second line. And the reason why this is sometimes called an F clef is because this dot, this circle that begins the base clef, if you're drawing it, is on F. So this is G and this is F. F clef, G clef. So what I want you to do for this very first lesson for practice is to draw the treble clef and draw the bass cleft and draw a [00:02:00] staff.

I just want you to practice writing some music like that. You will also have Printed staff paper is what we call it because this, these five lines are called a staff. You have staff paper, but I want you to actually draw some on some blank paper just so you get practice with it, and then you can take your staff paper and draw the treble and bass clef on those.

Let me show you an easy way to draw a treble clef. You'd start with a line straight down, so it's a little bit above the staff and a little bit below, so straight down. Then you go back up to the top and you curve around that way and you cross the fourth line. So you cross the fourth line, you go all the way to the bottom line, you curve up, and then you're circling the G, which you remember is on the second line.

So let, and then you add your little tail like that. Let me show you again. Straight line down. [00:03:00] Start at the top, cross the fourth line. Go all the way to the bottom line curve around the G, the second line and add your tail. So practice drawing some treble clefs and that will be really helpful later on.

And then for the bass clef, it's a little easier to draw. You start with the dot on the F, which is the fourth line. You go up and you touch the top line, and you go down and you stop in the first space. So first space, see how I stopped in the middle? Stops right in the middle there. Then you add another.in the third and fourth spaces.

So let me do that one again. Dot on the fourth line up to top. Touch the top line, all the way down. Stop in the first space and two dots there. And the next lesson we, we will be learning how to name each of the lines and spaces. So join me then.[00:04:00]

Transcript to download. print, and take notes on (if desired):

Assignment

1. Draw staffs, treble clefs, and bass clefs on blank paper.
2. Draw treble and bass clefs on staff paper (see below).
3. Do the online quiz below.