0A page of sheet music is made up of notes and rests printed on five parallel lines and the spaces in between them, which is called the staff. The lines and spaces are counted from the bottom to the top, meaning the higher-pitched notes will be higher up on the staff. The staff can be in either bass or treble clef, which will be marked at the left-most point on each line of the staff. The clef marker will tell you which line corresponds to which set of notes:
- In the treble clef, also known as "G clef," you'll notice a sign a bit like the ampersand (&), printed on the left side of each staff. This is the most common clef for sheet music. Guitar, trumpet, saxophone and most higher-register instruments will be printed on treble clef. The notes, starting on the bottom line and going to the top line, are E, G, B, D, and F. The notes in the spaces between the lines, starting with the space between the first and second, are F, A, C, and E.
- In the bass clef you'll notice a sign that looks a bit like a curved number "7" to the left of each line of the staff. The bass clef is used for instruments in the lower register, like trombone, bass guitar, and tuba. Starting with the bottom, or first line, the notes ascend G, B, D, F, and A. In the spaces are A, C, E, and G, from the bottom to the top.
- The tenor clef is used for choral works. It looks like the treble clef but with a little number 8 under it. It reads just like the treble clef but sounds an octave lower.
