Bass clef notes
The five lines are G B D F A and the four spaces are A C E G. Tap any note to hear it and see it on the piano.
Lines, bottom to top
G B D F A
“Good Boys Do Fine Always”
Spaces, bottom to top
A C E G
“All Cows Eat Grass”
F3 · fourth line · 174.61 Hz
Tap a note on the staff or a white key: you hear it and see where it sits on both.
Note-reading practice
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Name the note on the staff. Use the letter buttons or type A–G on a keyboard.
Every bass clef note, from C2 to C4
| Note | Where on the staff | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| first ledger line above (middle C) | 261.63 Hz | |
| space just above the staff | 246.94 Hz | |
| top line | 220.00 Hz | |
| top space | 196.00 Hz | |
| fourth line | 174.61 Hz | |
| third space | 164.81 Hz | |
| middle line | 146.83 Hz | |
| second space | 130.81 Hz | |
| second line | 123.47 Hz | |
| bottom space | 110.00 Hz | |
| bottom line | 98.00 Hz | |
| space just below the staff | 87.31 Hz | |
| first ledger line below | 82.41 Hz | |
| below the first ledger line | 73.42 Hz | |
| second ledger line below | 65.41 Hz |
Octave numbers use scientific pitch notation (middle C = C4); frequencies assume A4 = 440 Hz. Lines: G2, B2, D3, F3, A3. Spaces: A2, C3, E3, G3.
Reading the other hand too? See the treble clef notes, or the piano notes chart for the names of every key.
Landmarks that make the bass clef quick to read
- F3: the line between the clef’s two dots (fourth line from the bottom).
- Middle C (C4): the first ledger line above the staff.
- C3: the second space.
- C2: two ledger lines below the staff, the low C of many left-hand bass lines.
The two clefs are offset by two letter names: the bottom line is E in treble clef but G in bass clef, and the bottom space is F in treble but A in bass. That offset is why switching clefs trips up so many beginners. Practise each clef on its own until the landmarks are automatic, then read the left-hand part of simple chord progressions, where the bass usually plays the chord’s root.
Questions
What are the notes on the bass clef lines?
From the bottom line up: G, B, D, F, A (G2, B2, D3, F3, A3). A common mnemonic is “Good Boys Do Fine Always”.
What are the notes in the bass clef spaces?
From the bottom space up: A, C, E, G (A2, C3, E3, G3), often remembered as “All Cows Eat Grass”.
Why is the bass clef called the F clef?
It developed from a stylised letter F. Its two dots sit either side of the fourth line from the bottom, and the note on that line is the F below middle C (F3).
Where is middle C on the bass clef?
On the first ledger line above the staff. It is the same key on the piano as the C on the first ledger line below the treble staff.
Which hand plays the bass clef on piano?
Usually the left hand, on the lower staff of the grand staff. If the left hand moves high, the music may switch that staff to a treble clef, so always check the clef.
Is bass clef harder to read than treble clef?
It is not harder, just less practised: most beginners learn the treble clef first. Any line or space in bass clef is named two letters higher than the same position in treble clef (the bottom line is E in treble and G in bass), so you can translate at first, though learning its own landmarks (F3, middle C, low C2) is faster in the long run.