Brainlag Plus Music

Instruments, clefs and sounding pitch

Music theory, Reading a score, 15 minutes

The alto and tenor clefs, transposing instruments and the note that actually sounds, and the order of a full score.

The C clefs

Two clefs mark where middle C is:

The alto clef: middle C is the middle line. The viola reads it.
The tenor clef: middle C is the second line from the top. The cello, the bassoon and the trombone use it for their higher notes, to save ledger lines.

Alto clef (viola): middle C on the middle line

Treble clef: middle C on a ledger line below

The same note, middle C, in two clefs

The rest of this lesson and its 5 practice questions are in Plus Music.

Screen 1 of 4, free to read.