MI: LIBRARY: THEORY: BASICS: GREAT STAFF

The great staff (or grand staff) is a double staff with both treble and bass clefs.  All the most common pitches are on this staff.  Middle C is right between the two.

For notes above or below the range of the 5 line staff, small segments are added in both directions called ledger lines.  They are spaced with the same distance as the 5 lines of the staff, and wide enough to pass each side of the note.

Each note beyond the staff is on or above the leger line, no line is used beyond the note:

A way to specify notes above the range of a staff without changing the clef, is the octave sign (8va), this indicates that the notes in the bracket are to be played 1 octave higher or lower.  An octave is the pitch with the same name eight notes in either direction.  Another octave sign (15va) indicates to play 2 octaves different; its is very rarely used.