- 1). Find middle C. In alto clef, this is actually the middle line. Alto clef itself is centered on the middle C line. After you find C, you can fill in the other lines. The line above is E, and the top line is G. A is the line below middle C, and the bottom line is F. Lines can also appear above and below the staff. The notes appear in a repeating pattern of A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
- 2). Fill in the spaces. In alto clef, the notes for the open strings appear in the spaces. The note that represents the A string (the highest string on the viola) is in the open space directly above the staff. The first space from the top represents F. The next note written on a space is D. This is the second string. The next space down is B. The final space on the staff represents the G string. The pattern continues below the staff.
- 3). Continue following the alphabetical pattern of lines and spaces above and below the staff. The lowest string on a viola is C. This note appears two spaces below the staff. It represents the open C string.
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How to Read Alto Clef
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