Scan 138
The American History and Encyclopedia of Music, 1908
40 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1clef
2clef (klēf) Eng. n.
3clef (klā) Fr. n.
4The key: the only musical symbol by which the pitch of a sound may be absolutely represented. In the Sixteenth Century there were five clefs in use, the gamut named from the Greek letter Γ gamma, the F. C. G and D clefs. The gamut, which represented the G now written on the first line of the bass staff was then the lowest sound in the musical system, the D clef, which indicated d", D in the second octave above middle C. Both of these are F clef. G clef. now obsolete, the only clefs now in use being C clef, G clef and F clef.
5Any of these symbols placed on any line of the staff, fixes the name and pitch of the note on that line, and from that the names and pitch of the notes on the other lines and spaces can be found. The C clef has been used on all lines but the fifth:
6On the first line it is called the soprano clef and is found in old ecclesiastical music and sometimes in modern vocal scores; on the second line it indicated the mezzo-soprano, and early in the Eighteenth Century the tenor violin part, but is now obsolete; on the third line of the staff it is called alto clef, and used in music for alto voices, violas and the highest trombone; and on the fourth line, it is known as the tenor clef, and used in writing for tenor voices, trombones and the upper register of the bassoon and cello. The F clef, placed on the fourth line of the staff, is used in music for all bass instruments and voices. In old music it is sometimes found upon the third line and called the barytone clef; and sometimes on the fifth line when it is called the basso profundo clef. The G clef is now used only on the second line of the staff and is known as the treble clef; the G clef on the first line or French treble clef, and the G clef on the third line are obsolete. The modern clefs are corruptions of the letters C, F, G.
7clef, alto
8The C clef, placed on the third line of the staff. See also alto clef.
9clef, barytone
10The F clef, placed on the fourth line of the staff. See also barytone clef.
11clef, bass
12The F clef, placed on the fourth line of the staff. See also bass clef.
13clef, basso profundo (bās'-sō-prō-fūn'-dō) Lat.
14The F clef on the fifth line of the staff. See also basso profundo clef.
15clef, C
16See C clef.
17clef, counter tenor
18The C clef, placed on the third line of the staff. See counter-tenor clef.
19clef d'accordeur (klā dāk-kôr-dûr') Fr.
20A tuning hammer or sort of hand wrench by which the strings are tuned by tightening or loosening, in harps and instruments of the piano family.
21clef de fay (klā dū fā') Fr.
22The F, or bass clef, which is placed upon the fourth line of the staff. See also F clef.
23clef, descant
24See discant clef.
25clef d'ut (klā dūt') Fr.
26The C clef.
27clef, F
28See F clef.
29clef, French treble
30clef, French violin
31The G clef, made on the lowest line of the staff. Formerly much used in French music for the violin, flute and other instruments but now obsolete. See also French treble, or French violin, clef.
32clef, G
33See G clef.
34clef, German soprano
35The C clef, placed on the first line of the staff to indicate soprano parts. See also German soprano clef.
36clef, mean
37The tenor clef, the C clef placed on the fourth line of the staff. See also mean clef.
38clef, mezzo-soprano (mēd'-zō-sō-prä'-nō) It.
39The C clef placed on the second line of the staff. See also mezzo-soprano clef.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.