The treble clef

1What a clef does

A clef is a sign at the beginning of the staff. It tells you the names of the notes on the lines and spaces. The word clef is French for "key", because the clef is the key that unlocks the notes.

2The treble clef is the G clef

The treble clef curls around the second line from the bottom. That line is called G, so the treble clef is also called the G clef. Once you know where G is, you can find every other note by going up or down a step at a time.

3Who uses the treble clef?

The treble clef is used for high sounds: children's voices, women's voices, the recorder, the flute, the violin and the right hand of the piano. That is why all the songs you sing in class are written in the treble clef.

4How to draw a treble clef

1. Draw your staff first.
2. Put your pencil on line 2 (the G line) and draw a small curl around it, like a snail's shell.
3. Keep going: swing up above the top line, then come back down in a long straight line.
4. Finish below the staff with a little hook or a dot.

Your first clefs may look wobbly. That is fine! Practise ten on a page and they will get better every time.

Try it yourself

Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.