The Ukulele School
Uketionary
Staff Notation
Staff Notation
The most common way of writing notation for western instruments is staff notation.
This form of notation is written on five lines known as a stave. Think of the stave like a ladder the higher the note is up the stave the higher its pitch.
Clefs
Staff notation is usually accompanied by a clef. Depending on which clef we use the notes appear in slightly different positions on the stave.
Lines and Spaces
The most common clef is the ‘Treble Clef’ used for melodic instruments such as the flute, trumpet, violin and the right hand of the piano.
Many musicians prefer to view the notes as either on the lines of the stave or in the gaps between.
The notes in the spaces helpfully spell the word FACE. The notes on the lines are EGBDF. There are many mnemonics to help you remember this pattern.
