Tools / Note reading games / Tenor clef
In the tenor clef, middle C is the fourth line. The lines are D F A C E and the spaces E G B D. Cello, bassoon and trombone use it for higher passages. Check the chart, then play. Free, no signup.
The tenor clef is the same C clef symbol as the alto clef, placed one line higher. The point where its two curves meet sits on the fourth line from the bottom, marking it as middle C. So the clef itself sticks up above the staff, and the staff runs from D3 on the bottom line to E4 on the top line.
| Bottom to top | Notes | Memory aid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lines | D F A C E | D3 F3 A3 C4 E4 | D, then FACE |
| Spaces | E G B D | E3 G3 B3 D4 | Every Good Boy Does |
There's no universal tenor clef mnemonic, so reuse the ones you know: the lines are D followed by FACE, and the spaces are the first four treble clef lines (Every Good Boy Does). Just outside the staff are C3 below and F4 above.
Two cross-checks, depending on what you read already. From treble clef: each tenor clef position is one letter lower, an octave down (treble bottom line E4, tenor bottom line D3). From bass clef: each tenor position is a fifth higher than the same bass clef position (bass bottom line G2, tenor D3). Use these to confirm an answer, then work towards reading tenor clef directly.
Level 1 of the game drills the five notes around middle C (A3 to E4), the range where tenor clef passages tend to sit. After that come lines, spaces, the whole staff, ledger lines (G2 to B4) and accidentals.
Players of low instruments read mostly bass clef and switch to tenor clef for higher passages, so they don't need a stack of ledger lines above the bass staff:
Don't confuse the tenor clef with how tenor singers read today. Modern tenor vocal parts are usually written in treble clef with a small 8 below it, sounding an octave lower; the C-clef tenor clef was used for tenor voices in older editions. If you also read the viola's clef, compare with the alto clef, the same symbol one line lower, and drill them mixed in the hub's mixed-clef game.
A few minutes a day works better than one long session (see spaced repetition for musicians). Go for accuracy first; speed follows. Say the note name out loud before you tap, and when a level feels easy, mix it up: interleaved practice is harder in the moment but sticks better.
The five lines from bottom to top are D, F, A, C and E (D3 to E4), with middle C on the fourth line. The four spaces are E, G, B and D (E3 to D4). C3 sits just below the staff and F4 just above it.
On the fourth line from the bottom. The tenor clef is a C clef, and the point where its two curves meet marks middle C.
Mainly cello, bassoon and trombone, which read bass clef most of the time and switch to tenor clef for higher passages. Double bass and euphonium parts occasionally use it as well.
They use the same C clef symbol. In the alto clef it is centred on the middle line, so middle C is the third line; in the tenor clef it sits one line higher, so middle C is the fourth line. The same position is therefore a third lower in tenor clef than in alto clef.
Usually not today. Modern tenor parts are mostly written in treble clef with a small 8 below it, meaning the music sounds an octave lower. The C-clef tenor clef was used for tenor voices in older editions.
Yes. It is free, with no signup and no email gate, and it runs in your browser on phone or desktop. Your note map and sprint bests are saved on your device only. On iPhone, sound starts after your first tap because iOS requires a tap before a page can play audio.
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