Ledger Line
A short horizontal line drawn above or below the staff to extend its range for notes too high or too low to fit.
Category
notation
Pronunciation
/ˈlɛdʒə laɪn/
Origin
Variant of "leger" (French, light)
Length
179 words · 1 min read
About Ledger Line
Ledger lines allow composers to write notes that lie beyond the five lines and four spaces of the standard staff without changing clef. Middle C, for example, sits on one ledger line below the treble staff or one ledger line above the bass staff.
More notation terms
Tempo Marking
View all notationterms →A word or phrase placed at the beginning of a piece or section indicating the speed at which it should be performed.
ClefA symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes.
Articulation MarkingsSymbols placed above or below notes to indicate how they should be attacked, sustained, or released.
OpusA numbering system for a composer's works, assigned roughly in order of publication
AccidentalA symbol placed before a note to raise or lower its pitch by a semitone or whole tone, overriding the key signature.
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