Bass Staff and Grand Staff
Primary 6 · Creative Arts
Bass Staff and Grand Staff
Lesson 2 of 4
30 min
Let's begin
Gatete knows the notes of the treble staff by heart: lines E G B D F, spaces F A C E. "Easy," he says, "the bass staff must be the same!"
His sister, who plays the keyboard at church, laughs. "Not quite. On the bass staff every line and every space has a new name."
From the bottom up, the five lines of the bass staff are G B D F A.
Remember them with Great Big Drums For All, like the ingoma at a festival. Many musicians use Good Boys Do Fine Always.
From the bottom up, the four spaces are A C E G.
Remember them with All Cows Eat Grass. In Rwanda, that one is easy to remember!
Put the lines and spaces together and the notes climb in order: G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. Above the top line, B sits in the space, and one step higher is middle C, on its own short ledger line above the staff.
The same line or space has a different name in each clef:
| Place on the staff | Treble staff | Bass staff |
|---|---|---|
| Line 5 (top) | F | A |
| Space 4 | E | G |
| Line 4 | D | F |
| Space 3 | C | E |
| Line 3 (middle) | B | D |
| Space 2 | A | C |
| Line 2 | G | B |
| Space 1 | F | A |
| Line 1 (bottom) | E | G |
Do you see a pattern? Each bass-staff name is two letters later in the musical alphabet than the treble-staff name in the same place: E becomes G, F becomes A, G becomes B. The pattern is a good way to check, but learn the bass notes on their own too, so that you can read them quickly.
Use the F line as a landmark. It is line 4, the line between the clef's dots. One step below F is E (space 3). One step above F is G (space 4). Two steps below F is D, on the middle line.
Tip
Lines: Great Big Drums For All. Spaces: All Cows Eat Grass. If you forget, find F between the clef's dots and count up or down.
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
What note is on the middle line (line 3) of the bass staff?
Answer: D.
What note is in the top space (space 4) of the bass staff?
Answer: G.
Which sentence helps you remember the spaces of the bass staff, and what notes does it give?
Answer: All Cows Eat Grass: A, C, E, G.
What note is on the bottom line of the bass staff?
Answer: G.
A note is on the ledger line just above the bass staff. What is it?
Answer: Middle C.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The memory sentence "Great Big Drums For All", the diagrams, the table and the practice questions were written by Ganzaa. The bass clef in the diagrams was drawn by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Put the lines of the bass staff in order, from the bottom up.
Tap the cards in the right order.
