Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

Example 6.4 The Bass Clef. The bass clef indicates the fourth line.

Bass clef is used for instruments with a low sound. Some of them are:

tuba, cello, double bass, trombone, bassoon, electric bass, and piano.

Because of their large range between high and low, keyboard

instruments like piano, organ, and synthesizer use both the treble and

bass clefs.

Rhythm Clef

This is a clef which shows rhythms, not pitches like the other clefs.

The real name for this clef is the neutral clef. It’s also called the

percussion clef because it’s used by percussionists and drummers and

other instruments that produce a sound that isn’t a clear pitch. These

types of instruments are called non-pitched instruments.

For clarity’s sake, from here on I’ll call it a rhythm clef.

Example 6.5 The Rhythm Clef. Notice how this clef carefully avoids indicating any one line?

All the other clefs show the letter name of a line except the rhythm

clef. Because the instruments that use this clef have no clear pitch,

there’s no need for letter names. The rhythm clef was never a letter.

Sound simple? Well, it is and it isn’t. We’ll go over the details of this

clef in Chapter 10.

4th line