Bass Staff and Grand Staff
Primary 6 · Creative Arts
Bass Staff and Grand Staff
Lesson 4 of 4
30 min
Let's begin
Ishimwe's grandmother hums an old tune while she shells beans. Ishimwe wants to write it down so that he can play it on the school keyboard: the tune in his right hand, and the same tune, lower, in his left hand.
To do that, he needs to read and write notes on both staves.
Good readers do not count up from the bottom line every time. They know a few guide notes by heart, and step from the nearest one.
Worked example
a note is in space 3 of the bass staff. The nearest guide note is bass F on line 4, one step above it. One step below F is E, so the note is E.
Here Ishimwe writes the first notes of a tune twice: once for the right hand, starting on middle C, and once for the left hand, starting on the C one octave lower. The letter names are the same, but the notes sit in different places on each staff.
Look carefully: on the treble staff, C is on a ledger line and E is on line 1. On the bass staff, C is in space 2 and E is in space 3. Always check the clef before you name a note.
Name the six numbered notes. Check the clef first, then step from the nearest guide note. The answers are in Try it yourself below.
Tip
Step from a guide note. Bass F, middle C, treble G: find the nearest one and count the steps up or down.
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
Name notes 1, 2 and 3 in the "Name the notes" diagram.
Answer: 1 is G (bottom line of the bass staff), 2 is E (space 3 of the bass staff), 3 is middle C (the ledger line above the bass staff).
Name notes 4, 5 and 6.
Answer: 4 is D (just below the treble staff), 5 is A (space 2 of the treble staff), 6 is C (space 3 of the treble staff).
A note sits on line 5 of the bass staff. Which guide note is nearest, and what is the note?
Answer: Bass F on line 4 is two steps below it: F, G, A. The note is A.
On the bass staff, which way does the stem of a note on line 4 go?
Answer: Down, on the left side, because line 4 is above the middle line.
Which sounds higher: A on the top line of the bass staff, or E on the bottom line of the treble staff?
Answer: E on the treble staff. It is above middle C, while the bass-staff A is below middle C.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The story, the diagrams, the writing rules 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
Match each guide note to where it sits.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
