Clef
The sign at the start of a staff that fixes which pitch each line and space means
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A clef is the sign at the beginning of a staff that fixes which pitch each line and space represents. The common three are the treble clef (G clef, the second line is G4), the bass clef (F clef, the fourth line is F3) and the alto clef (C clef, the third line is C4, used by the viola).
A clef only locates pitches; it does not set the key. Rewrite the same music in another clef and the note names change while the key signature and key can stay the same. The usual mistake is to confuse clef with key signature — the clef says which line is which, the signature says which notes are sharpened or flattened.
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Sources
- 三类谱号的定位与用法，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Clef"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.