How to Read Alto Viola Clef Music

The viola looks like a large violin.

The viola is the middle instrument in the string section. It falls between the violin and the cello in both sound and size. The viola has the same strings (C, G, D, and A) as the cello, but its sound is an octave higher. All three instruments use different clefs for sheet music. Music for the viola is written in alto clef. Alto clef uses the bottom two lines of treble clef as its top two lines, and the top two lines of bass clef serve as its lower two lines.

Things You'll Need

• Sheet music for viola
• Viola

Instructions

How to Read Alto Clef

1. Find middle C. In alto clef, this is actually the middle line. Alto clef itself is centered on the middle C line. After you find C, you can fill in the other lines. The line above is E, and the top line is G. A is the line below middle C, and the bottom line is F. Lines can also appear above and below the staff. The notes appear in a repeating pattern of A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

2. Fill in the spaces. In alto clef, the notes for the open strings appear in the spaces. The note that represents the A string (the highest string on the viola) is in the open space directly above the staff. The first space from the top represents F. The next note written on a space is D. This is the second string. The next space down is B. The final space on the staff represents the G string. The pattern continues below the staff.

3. Continue following the alphabetical pattern of lines and spaces above and below the staff. The lowest string on a viola is C. This note appears two spaces below the staff. It represents the open C string.

4. 

Tips & Warnings

• It may be helpful to mark each line and space with the accompanying letters for the notes on a blank staff. My viola teacher taught this technique, and it did make it easier to "see" the notes.

References

• Deep Secrets of Clef Reading
• Bloomingdale School of Music: The Viola