Page 50 - Music

Bass clef
The word bass means the lower tones or part in music for instruments or voices. A
bass clef is a musical symbol used in written music to indicate the range of lower-
pitched notes to be played or sung. It is also known as the “F clef” since the curly
top of the clef partly encircles the fourth line on the staff, which is note F. Also,
there are two dots that surround the fourth line on the staff. A staff which has the
bass clef is known as bass staff or F staff. The music for voices and instruments
with lower ranges is written on the bass staff. Figure 3.12 shows an example of a
bass clef written on the staff.

Figure 3.12: A bass clef on the staff
Figure 3.13 shows notes that have been written on lines and in spaces on the bass

staff.

Figure 3.13: Notes written on lines and in spaces on the bass staff

Figure 3.14 shows notes written on ledger lines in the bass staff

Figure 3.14: Notes written on ledger lines in the bass staff

Activity 3.1

(a) Search for written musical pieces in the school library or internet sources to
observe how musical notes are written on staff.

(b) (i) Draw fifty (50) treble clef and fifty (50) bass clef signs.
(ii) Draw a treble staff and bass staff.

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