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Basic

Staff

Elements

C Clefs

The C Clef, sometimes referred to as the "Moveable Clef," determines which line of the staff represents Middle C. Composers will frequently use the C Clef to avoid writing extra ledger lines above the staff for instruments such as the viola (Alto Clef), cello (Tenor Clef) or bassoon (Tenor Clef). (See the Ledger Lines topic for more information.)

The vertical positioning of the C Clef pinpoints Middle C. By far the most commonly used C Clefs are the Alto clef and Tenor clef:

Alto

clef

Tenor

clef