Bass clef notes: lines, spaces and ledger lines
Bass clef notes: lines G B D F A, spaces A C E G, middle C on a ledger line above. See every note on the staff, hear it, and practise with a note quiz.
On the bass clef the five lines are, from bottom to top, G B D F A ("Good Boys Do Fine Always") and the four spaces are A C E G ("All Cows Eat Grass"). The clef's two dots sit around the fourth line, which is F below middle C (F3). Middle C sits on one ledger line above the staff.
The line notes: G B D F A
Mnemonic: Good Boys Do Fine Always.
The space notes: A C E G
Mnemonic: All Cows Eat Grass.
Landmark notes to read faster
- F F3: The bass clef's two dots surround the 4th line: that line is F, which is why it is also called the F clef.
- C C4: Middle C sits on the first ledger line above the staff.
- C C3: The C an octave below middle C is in the 2nd space.
Read from landmarks instead of counting from the bottom: a note one step above a landmark is the next letter.
Ledger lines above and below the bass clef
Bass clef quiz: name the note
Six notes, from ledger lines to the top of the staff. Pick the letter.
Score: / 6 (your score updates as you answer)
Every bass clef note, from C2 to E4
| Note | Position | Frequency | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | on ledger line 2 above | 329.63 Hz | |
| D4 | above ledger line 1 | 293.66 Hz | |
| C4 | on ledger line 1 above | 261.63 Hz | |
| B3 | just above the staff | 246.94 Hz | |
| A3 | line 5 | 220.00 Hz | |
| G3 | space 4 | 196.00 Hz | |
| F3 | line 4 | 174.61 Hz | |
| E3 | space 3 | 164.81 Hz | |
| D3 | line 3 | 146.83 Hz | |
| C3 | space 2 | 130.81 Hz | |
| B2 | line 2 | 123.47 Hz | |
| A2 | space 1 | 110.00 Hz | |
| G2 | line 1 | 98.00 Hz | |
| F2 | just below the staff | 87.31 Hz | |
| E2 | on ledger line 1 below | 82.41 Hz | |
| D2 | below ledger line 1 | 73.42 Hz | |
| C2 | on ledger line 2 below | 65.41 Hz |
Who reads the bass clef?
Cello, double bass, bassoon, trombone, tuba, bass guitar (written an octave higher than it sounds), the left hand of the piano, and bass and baritone voices.
Timed note drill
Frequently asked questions
What are the line notes of the bass clef?
From bottom to top: G, B, D, F, A. Remember them with "Good Boys Do Fine Always".
What are the space notes of the bass clef?
From bottom to top: A, C, E, G, or "All Cows Eat Grass".
Where is middle C on the bass clef?
On the first ledger line above the staff, the same note as the first ledger line below the treble staff.
Why is the bass clef called the F clef?
Its two dots sit on either side of the fourth line and mark it as F (the F below middle C, F3).
How is the bass clef different from the treble clef?
The same position names a different note. The bottom line is E4 in treble clef but G2 in bass clef: a bass-clef note takes the letter two steps above the treble-clef note in the same place, and sounds more than an octave lower.