Usually, notes written on the treble clef stave will be played by your right hand,
and they often (but not always) carry the main tune of the piece. Strangely, the
most important note on the keyboard, Middle C, doesn’t actually belong on
either the treble or bass clef – it rests on a ledger line on both, which we will talk
more about in the future. The first line up carries the E note, which is two white
keys to the right of Middle C. The following eight white keys each occupy eithera space of a line on the treble clef stave – up to the F note on the following
octave. The notes don’t stop there, however. Each subsequent note will either
rest in or above ledger lines that, in theory, can go as high as the sheet music
will allow. Ledger lines can also go below the stave – like Middle C – but any
below the A note to the left of Middle C will probably be played on the left
hand, or the stave’s clef will change to the bass clef.The treble stave notes
What your right hand will be playing
The lines
The notes on the lines of the treble clef
stave are, from bottom to top: E, G, B,
D, F. There are many ways to remember
this, but most use a simple mnemonic
like Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit. You
may find it easier to remember if you
make up your own – especially if your
name begins with one of those letters.
If that fails, remember that the B note is
‘Bang’ in the middle.All together
The white notes all have their special
place on the stave, so how do we
know to play black notes? Well, they’re
either preceded by a symbol or they’re
dictated by a key signature, which we’ll
go through later. Some of the black
notes have different names, but are
in fact the same note. F sharp (F#, the
black note immediately following the
F in FACE) is the same as G flat (Gb), for
example. Also included here are the D
and G notes, either side of the treble
clef stave.The spaces
Although you could think of one, there’s
no need for a mnemonic to help you
remember the notes for the spaces
of the treble clef stave. From bottom
to top, they spell out the word ‘FACE’,
which even rhymes with ‘space’! Note
that the C in FACE is not Middle C – it is
the C note one octave above it. The F in
E, G, B, D, F (ie the top line of the stave)
is one octave above the F in FACE (the
first space from the bottom).E G B D F
F A C E
D E F G A B C D E F G