The staff is the set of lines upon which notes are drawn. There are five lines and four spaces between them. The spaces are just as important as the lines because both can have notes written on them. Each line or space on the page represents the white keys on a piano. The staff is read from left to right as the notes sequence, so can be read as the passage of time as well.
On the far left side of the staff one of two clef symbols will be contained. The treble clef, or G clef, looks like a very stylized capital letter G. This means that the notes following will representing a higher register of notes. On the other hand, the bass clef, or C clef, which appears as a stylized mirror image of the letter C, represents a lower register of notes. The difference between these two will indicate which notes are indicated by the lines and spaces in the staff it's placed on.
Notes are not limited to the staff itself; they can also be placed several steps above and below it. In order to indicate how many steps above or below the staff a certain note is, the space can be delineated by ledger lines. This is indicated by a horizontal line exclusively through the note itself as well as any needed lines between the note and the staff to indicate extra steps.
The grand staff is the combination of two traditional staffs, one above the other. The top staff will include a treble clef, while the bottom staff displays a bass clef. These two staffs are played in synchronization with each other in order to create more complex pieces of music that include both registers. These staffs can continue their pairings through multiple sets of staffs as the music composition continues past the first set of notes. The second grand staff would appear below the first, or onto the next page if necessary.
The center point between the two staffs, as indicated by a note with a ledger line, is known as middle C. From that point up and down letters A-G can be counted in succession on lines and spaces. These notes are indicated by various oval-shaped symbols with or without vertical lines protruding from them. These lines can also carry single or multiple flag-shaped objects. All of these variations on the oval represent the length of the note in addition to its location as the tone.