Arts >> Music >> Music Basics

How to Change an Alto Staff to a Treble Staff

Knowing the difference between an alto clef and a treble clef staff makes you a better musician and increases your access to music. Although many instrumentalists play in the treble clef, only violists play this clef full time. The English horn, trombone and alto choir parts occasionally use this clef to reduce the number of ledger lines. Alto clef is a specific type of C clef that indicates the position of middle C on the staff.

Instructions

    • 1

      Learn where middle C is on the alto clef staff by remembering it is the middle line of the staff system. A staff system consists of 5 lines. Middle C is equivalent to the note on the first ledger line directly below the treble clef.

    • 2

      Change the alto clef notes to treble clef notes by memorizing the notes of the alto clef. The bottom line of the alto clef starts with F, followed by A, C, E and then G on the top line. The spaces, from bottom to top, are G, B, D and F.

    • 3

      Write the alto clef part in treble clef by determining the note name and then writing it one octave lower in the treble clef staff. In this way, a C in the middle of the alto clef staff will become a C directly below the treble clef staff.

Music Basics

Related Categories