Now that you have moved on with the basic piano skills, it's time to delve deep into sheet music. Well, the first step towards it is learning the clefs. Heads up! It's nothing scary, and the best part is that if you learn the clefs, you can even compose music and write the staff on your own. Isn't it exciting? I know! Let's just start with the bass clef and bass clef notes today. We'll get back to the others later.
What is Clef? According to Western Music Theory, a clef is a symbol in grand staff that indicates the notes that are represented by the spaces and lines on a musical staff. There are 4 prominent clefs regularly used in modern music - treble clef, bass clef, alto clef, and tenor clef. Among all the 4 types, treble and bass clefs are the most common ones. We'll talk about one of the common ones today - bass clef. Let's learn how you can take your piano skills to the next level with bass clef notes.
What is the Bass Clef? Do you remember the Middle C? Well, let's rekindle our memory once again. Middle C is the closest C note to the center of the piano. In a standard 88-piano, it is the 4th C note. (If you're struggling to remember the Middle C key on the piano, you can try labelling piano keys. Trust me; it helps.) Bass clef is the notion to indicate any note below the Middle C Professional pianists also refer to the bass clef as the F clef as it identifies the F notes on the grand staff. Bass clef notes are usually played with the left hand.
Why Do You Need Bass Clef?
Bass clef indicates and helps you read all the pitches below middle C.
By dividing the staff into bass and treble clef, you get a clear idea of which notes are to be played with the right hand and which notes are to be played with the left hand.
Bass clefs make the staff easier to read and follow by avoiding all the ledger lines, octave higher, and lower lines.
Beginners benefit a lot from this. Bass clefs make it easier to read sheet music.
What is a Ledger Line? You might have seen and used makeshift drawers at some point in time. Keep the image of it in your mind. Ledger lines are basically added lines on staff to adjust the notes representing pitches below or above that particular staff's pitch. You can add ledger lines both on top or at the bottom of the bass clef staff, depending on the pitch of the added notes. If the pitch is higher, then you need to add a ledger line above the staff, and if it is lower, you have to add it below the staff.
How Do You Draw Bass Clefs?
The fourth line on the staff marks the F3 (3rd F note on the keyboard), which is the F note below the middle C. So, if you want to draw a bass clef staff, start by drawing a black dot on the same line. Now, draw a curved line (much like a flipped C).
The bass clef symbol is simple to draw. Begin by drawing a dot on the fourth line of the staff. This line marks F3 on the staff, the F below C4. Next, draw a curve up to the right and then down and around to the left, like a backward 'C.' Once you have this, draw two dots on either side of the fourth line, one in between the fourth and fifth lines and one in between the third and fourth lines. The bass clef symbol might look funny, but it is actually how the letter 'F' looked like in ancient times.
2 Easy Methods to Learn Bass Clef Faster
First of all, just like the treble clef, try to memorize the notes. Be it mnemonics or rhyming; you can choose the method you prefer.
The second one is called the 'Interval method.' In this method, you understand and memorize a few common interval spacings. Once you understand the structure, it will be easier to follow the bass clef staff.
Mnemonics to Remember Bass Clef Notes You have already noticed the straight lines on the grand staff. There are a few simple (yet awkward) mnemonic devices piano learners use to remember the notes on these lines. The mnemonic to remember the spaces are "Good Boys Do Fine Always." It represents all the notes from bottom to top (G-B-D-F-A). Here's an alternative for it: "Green Buses Drive Fast Always." When it comes to the spaces, you can use the very popular "All Cows Eat Grass," which means the spaces are denoted with A, C, E, and G.
How to Read Bass Clef Notes? If you look at the staff carefully, you will notice that the bass clef stave is made of 5 horizontal lines. Like treble clef, bass clef notes can also sit on the line, above, or below the line. A quick reminder: the notes outside the stave are called space notes. The best way to read bass clef staff notes is by identifying the guide notes. For instance, the most prominent guide note is the middle C. [caption id="attachment_8380" align="aligncenter" width="612"]
Bass Clef Notes[/caption] Look carefully at the stave, and you'll see a line between the two black dots of the bass clef sign. This line is an F. So, any note that sits on the line is an F. Now, it is not just any other F note on the piano; it resides just below the middle C. [caption id="attachment_8381" align="aligncenter" width="750"]
Middle C[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8382" align="aligncenter" width="750"]
Bass F[/caption] So, the note below the middle C is B. Naturally; it is a space note. You have already learned about the bass F. Now that you have learned these two guide notes, it will become even easier to identify them from now on. The bass C is one of them. Expectedly, the C lower than the Middle C is the bass C notation. Remember that it (Bass C; C3) is the only space guide note on the bass clef. Coming up next is the Ground G note. Many piano instructors prefer to teach it even before identifying the bass C. As the name suggests, ground G is placed on the bottom line of the bass clef. [caption id="attachment_8383" align="aligncenter" width="750"]
Ground G[/caption] Lastly, we are left with the low C note. Interestingly, this note sits two ledger lines below the middle C. [caption id="attachment_8384" align="aligncenter" width="750"]
Low C[/caption] So, now that you have learned how to read the bass clef staff, can you guess the note above the low C? Yeah, you've guessed it right. The note just above the low C is a D note, obviously.
Learn How to Write Beats and Meter in Sheet Music Read "How to Read Sheet Music" to learn about Beats, Meter and Time Signature in detail. Explore now
FAQs
What are the notes on A bass clef? The lines and spaces are denoted with the English alphabet. All the notes on A bass clef are A notes (same notation). However, their pitch changes according to their placement on the staff.
What is the purpose of clef changing? The main purpose of changing clefs is to make music. If you are practicing the clefs on the piano, you can get them for the sake of coordination. On the other hand, musicians use different clefs in the same compositions to make the soundscape enjoyable.
Does the piano ever use alto clef? Yes, you will see the use of alto clefs in difficult compositions. However, it is very rare. The reason behind it is that the alto clef doesn't cover the piano notes on the keyboard. It is difficult to chip in alto clef in piano compositions as well.
