The Bass Clef

In the bass clef, notes also use the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. They are arranged differently than the treble clef, moving from the lowest pitch at the bottom to the highest at the top.

Musicians use distinct memory acronyms to read these positions from bottom to top:

The Space Notes

The four spaces use the acronym All Cows Eat Grass.

• 1st space (bottom): A
• 2nd space: C
• 3rd space: E
• 4th space (top): G

The Line Notes

The five lines use the acronym Good Boys Do Fine Always.

• 1st line (bottom): G
• 2nd line: B
• 3rd line: D
• 4th line: F (The two dots of the bass clef surround this line, which is why it is also called the "F Clef")
• 5th line (top): A

Notes Just Outside the Staff

Notes frequently extend past the main five lines:

• Space below the 1st line: F
• Space above the 5th line: B
• Middle C: Sits on its own little ledger line directly above that B, linking the bass clef to the treble clef.