Capistrano School
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Parts of the Staff

A staff has five lines and four spaces.  Composers write notes on the staff when they compose music.  You look at a staff to read music. 

A staff is more than just lines and spaces.  A staff also has a clef sign, time signature, key signature, bar lines, measures, ledger lines, spaces, notes, rests, music symbols, and lots of other stuff. 

If you know the parts of a staff, you will always know where you are in the music.

Let's learn about the parts of a staff.

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Lines and Spaces

This line is called a ledger line. It is not yet a staff.  We need to add more lines.

Five ledger lines make a staff.  Each line and space has its own name, just like the five fingers of your hand have their own name. 

Notes do not have letter names until you put them on the staff. You must learn the names of the lines and spaces to know the letter names of the notes. 

Notes also fall above and below the staff.  Ledger lines are written above and below the staff to hold these notes.

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Treble Clef, Bass Clef, and the Grand Staff

This is a treble clef. The staff with the high notes is called the treble staff.  It has a treble clef at the beginning of the staff.  

The names of the lines of the treble staff are E, G, B, D, and F.  Every Good Boy Does Fine is an easy memory game to help you remember the names of the notes on these lines. 

The names of the spaces of the treble staff are F, A, C, and E.  That spells FACE.        

This is a bass clef.  The staff with the low notes is called the bass staff.  It has a bass clef at the beginning of the staff. 
 

The names of the lines of the bass clef are G, B, D, F, and A.  Good Boys Do Fine Always will help you remember these names.   

The names of the spaces in the bass clef are A, C, E, and G.  All Cows Eat Grass will help you remember these names.

Both staffs together are called the grand staff.  Piano players use the grand staff when they play music.  The left hand plays the bass clef (low notes) and the right hand plays the treble clef (high notes). 

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Bar Lines and Measures

We can divide the staff by using bar lines.  Bar lines divide the staff into measures.  Musicians like to call measures bars.  Measures (or bars) fall between the bar lines. 

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Time Signatures

The top number of the time signature tells you how many beats can fit into a measure.  If the top number is 4, then four beats can fit into a measure.  If the top number is 3, than three beats can fit into a measure.  Most time signatures will be 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, or 6/8.  

In the example below, the time signature is 4/4.  The top number tells you there will be four beats in each measure.   

Remember: You can't have more beats in a measure than the time signature allows.  

Let's say it another way.  You can't fit four beats into a measure that only has room for three beats.   That would be like trying to squeeze a big foot into a small shoe. 

To learn more about time signatures, click here.   

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Note Values

We use notes to tell us how long or short sounds are.  Black notes have shorter sounds than white notes.  We place these notes on the staff to make music.  

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Capistrano Elementary School
400 Capistrano Drive
Modesto, CA  95354
(209)  521-8664

Dante Alvarez, Principal
Russ Ewick, District Web Master                                                
Michael Bower, Site Web Master and Author     
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