Music Notes In Bass Clef – How To Read Notes In Bass Clef

Learning how to read music notes in bass clef is easy using these 2 tricks. Discover what they are and become a pro reading music notes in the bass clef.

How To Read Notes In Bass Clef

If you want to learn how to play a bass instrument, sing a bass line or play the left hand in piano music, you will need to learn how to read the notes in bass clef. 

First, let’s have a brief review of the bass clef and then we will learn more about these tools and how to use them.

If you recall, the notes in bass clef sound much lower in pitch than in treble clef.  Also, after learning some background information about the bass clef in general, we learned that another name for the bass clef is the F clef.  The two dots on the clef sign that surround the fourth line define the notes placed on that line as “F”.

Line Notes In Bass Clef

Okay, it is time to start learning the line notes.  Start on the very bottom line of the bass clef staff.  We are going to work our way up the lines saying “Good-Boys-Do-Fine-Always”.  Be sure to reserve only one word for each line.  The lines in bass clef are G, B, D, F and A.  If you recall, as you work your way up the staff, the pitch gets higher.  As you go down the staff, the pitch gets lower.

Space Notes In Bass Clef

Now, take a look at the space notes.  Again, start at the very bottom space and work your way up the staff saying “All-Cows-Eat-Grass”.  If you are having trouble pointing to only one space at a time while using this saying, you may find it beneficial to print this example out on a piece of paper and use a pencil to point to each space.  The spaces in bass clef are A, C, E and G.

So, why do we use these sayings for learning the lines and spaces in any clef?  They are acronyms that make it much easier for us to remember the letter names of the lines and spaces.  This is a great trick used by many teachers, including myself.  If you have some random letters you have to memorize, create a saying or acronym to help you remember them in order.  It works great every time!

It’s time to test your skills. Look at the staff below and try to name each note.  Write your answers down on a piece of paper if you happen to have it handy.

The answers are:  A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A

How did you do?  Excellent, you are on your way to reading music!  In no time at all, you will be an expert in reading the notes in bass clef.

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