Staff
The set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.
Category
notation
Pronunciation
/stɑːf/
Origin
Old English (staef)
Length
176 words · 1 min read
About Staff
The staff (plural: staves) is the fundamental framework of Western musical notation. Each line and space represents a different pitch, with higher positions indicating higher notes.
More notation terms
Dynamic Marking
View all notationterms →A symbol or abbreviation indicating the volume at which music should be played, from very soft to very loud.
Repeat SignA pair of dots and double barlines that instruct the performer to replay a section of music.
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.
Articulation MarkingsSymbols placed above or below notes to indicate how they should be attacked, sustained, or released.
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