What is a clef?

Answer 1

The word 'clef' literally means 'key'. It is a character or symbol which is placed in a specific position at the beginning of a stave of music. Its position on the stave fixes the pitch of the note which the clef represents. The two most common clefs are the treble or G clef, which indicates the pitch of the note G and is typically used for the right hand in keyboard music, and the bass or F clef, which indicates the pitch of the note F and is typically used for the left hand in keyboard music.

Answer 2

A C clef identifies a line on the staff that is the note C. On a 4-line Gregorian chant staff it looks like the letter C. There is also a version of the clef that is more ornate, and more or less resembles a K.

Answer 3

In music, a clef indicates the position of a specific note on a 5-line staff.