Q&A for How to Read the Bass Clef

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What should I do if I'm getting confused between the treble clef and the bass clef?

Cuong Nguyen
Music Teacher
Cuong Nguyen is a Music Teacher and the Co-Owner of both OC Musica and the Huntington Beach School of Music. He has been teaching music for over 45 years and has extensive knowledge in music teaching pedagogy. He and his team of over 20 professional instructors specialize in teaching piano, voice, guitar, violin, brass, and woodwind instruments. Cuong is the 1984 winner of the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize in Composition. He received his Bachelor of Music with Honors from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Cuong Nguyen

Music Teacher

Expert Answer

What you can do is position the treble clef and the bass clef side by side, bottom to top, or top to bottom, so that you can understand that there is a progression from the lowest note of the bass clef to the highest note of the treble clef.

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Question

How do I know which string to play it on and such?

Community Answer

This answer is different depending on the instrument being played. However, the A at the top of the bass clef staff is 220Hz. The A in the bottom space of the staff is 110Hz, and therefore sounds lower. If playing a cello, the higher A (220Hz) is on the A strings, while the lower A (110Hz) is first finger on the G string. On an electric bass, the higher A is on the second fret of the G string (fourth string), while the lower A is zero fingers on the A string (second string).

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How do I read a staff where there are two bass clefs?

Community Answer

You can read the two bass clefs in the exact same way. If you're having trouble reading the lines, think of the lines as Green Bugs Don't Fly Away.

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Question

How do I read sub bass clefs? I'm composing, but don't know how to write in sub bass clef notes.

Community Answer

The sub bass clef is very similar to bass clef except two notes higher. For example, the A on the top line would now become the first ledger line. The E on the staff would go where the G on the goes, etc.

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Question

How to locate notes do, re, mi for bass clef?

Sahana Inumpudi

Community Answer

Find the line in the middle of the 5 lines and that is Re in the third octave. From there you can count down with the spaces and lines to go lower and up to go higher.

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Question

Why is bass clef so hard?

Sahana Inumpudi

Community Answer

It's generally not that hard for those who learn it originally but if you're a natural alto or treble clef reader, it might be hard.

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Question

If there is bass clef music without any sharps or flats on it, what key is it?

Ruby

Top Answerer

It will either be C major or A minor. You can tell by looking at what notes/chords it centres on. The last note of a piece is often (but not always), the tonic note of the key. Another thing to look out for is frequent G sharp accidentals, which typically occur in pieces in the key of A minor.

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