CLEF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does clef mean? 

• CLEF (noun)
  The noun CLEF has 1 sense:

1. a musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following it

  Familiarity information: CLEF used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLEF (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("clef" is a kind of...):

musical notation ((music) notation used by musicians)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "clef"):

G clef; treble clef; treble staff (a clef that puts the G above middle C on the second line of a staff)

bass clef; F clef (a clef that puts the F below middle C on the fourth line of a staff)

alto clef; viola clef (a clef that puts middle C on the third line of a staff)

C clef (a movable clef that puts middle C on one of the lines of a staff)

soprano clef (a clef that puts middle C on the bottom line of the staff)

tenor clef (a clef that puts middle C on the fourth line of the staff; used for writing music for bassoons or cellos or tenor horns)