Clef vs Key

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Clef	Key
Definition	A symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes.	The tonal centre that organises a piece of music around a specific note and scale.
Category	notation	fundamental
Pronunciation	KLEF	—
Origin	French (clef, key)	English
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	key	Tonality
Antonyms	—	—
Usage	The viola reads in alto clef, placing middle C on the third line — a source of confusion for pianists reading viola parts for the first time.	The sonata is in the key of D minor, establishing a dark, restless character from the opening bars.

Definition: A symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes.
Category: notation
Pronunciation: KLEF
Origin: French (clef, key)
Synonyms: key
Usage: The viola reads in alto clef, placing middle C on the third line — a source of confusion for pianists reading viola parts for the first time.

Definition: The tonal centre that organises a piece of music around a specific note and scale.
Category: fundamental
Origin: English
Synonyms: Tonality
Usage: The sonata is in the key of D minor, establishing a dark, restless character from the opening bars.