Lesson 3: Bass clef, grand staff and the octave
About this video
The bass clef is used for low instruments like the trombone, tuba, bassoon, cello and the bass notes of the piano. The video names its notes, starting with A in the lowest space, explains why it is called the F clef, and shows how the treble and bass staves join to make the grand staff, with middle C between them.
You'll be able to
- name notes on the bass clef staff.
- explain why the bass clef is called the F clef.
- describe the grand staff and find middle C on it.
Key words
- bass clef
- The clef for low instruments and voices; also called the F clef.
- F clef
- Another name for the bass clef, because its two dots sit either side of the F line.
- grand staff
- A treble staff and a bass staff joined together, as used for piano.
- middle C
- The C on one ledger line above the bass staff and one below the treble staff; they are the same note.
Transcript
- [Teacher] The other most commonly used clef is the bass clef, used for the bass instruments like the trombone, tuba, bassoon, cello, string bass, and the bass notes on the piano. First we begin with the five horizontal lines of the staff. And then add the bass clef to the beginning of that staff.
The lowest space is an A. As we ascend from that space to the second line, and then to the second space and upwards, we once again spell out the seven letters of the alphabet. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. With the top line repeating the pattern with an A. Once again the low A to the upper A is eight steps or an octave.
Now notice the two small dots on the right side of the clef. These dots are on either side of the fourth line where the F sits therefore the bass clef is also called an F clef. Continuing to ascend beyond the A on the top line is a B. If we add a ledger line, we now have a C.
Now let's put the treble and bass clefs together with the treble clef above the bass clef. The first ledger line C above the bass clef and the first ledger line C below the treble clef are the same note. Putting these two clefs together creates the grand staff.
And the C that we just wrote with one ledger line above the bass clef and one ledger line below the treble clef is called middle C.
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