Piano Notes Above & Below the Staff

Finding the piano notes above and below the staff usually takes a lot of counting. They don't often get memorized because they aren't used all that often. Especially those extreme ones.

Here you'll find a reference chart of those notes as well as learn how to figure them out yourself (if ever you need to).

How To Figure Out The Notes

If you'd like to be able to figure out what the notes are above and below the staff, it's pretty simple.

Cycle through the musical alphabet (A B C D E F G).

If you're going above the staff, count up through the music alphabet alternating from space to line (or line space) and on until you reach your note.

If you're trying to figure out a note below the staff, you need to cycle backwards through the music alphabet. You still need to alternate from line to space (or space to line) while going through the music alphabet.

The Notes Above & Below the Staff

Whether you know how to figure out the notes or not, it's handy to have a reference chart! You'll find that below.

Treble Clef: Above the Staff

Treble Clef: Below the Staff

Bass Clef: Above the Staff

Bass Clef: Below the Staff

If you don't have this reference on hand, you can always find the note by counting down or up. (That's what I usually end up doing.)

Just follow each line and space counting through the musical alphabet.

Reference Infographic:

Notes Above & Below the Staff Reference Chart

Above and Below the Ledger lines Quiz

Try this quiz to test and grow your knowledge about which notes are above and below.

See more piano quizzes and games here to help you learn piano for free.

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