Music Theory

How To Draw A Bass Clef: Guide + Worksheet

Written by Dan Farrant

Last updated

If you play an instrument that’s at a lower pitch then you’re probably already familiar with the bass clef but for those that don’t it can be a little confusing.

In this post, we’ll cover how to draw a bass clef along and at the end we have a free worksheet to print out and practice. But first…

What is a Bass Clef?

The bass clef is a type of clef in music which is how we notate the pitch of notes.

The bass clef is also known as the F clef as it shows us where the note F is on a staff.

The bass clef

It’s used by loads of instruments that play in a low register. Instruments like, the double bass, bassoons and tubas all use the bass clef.

Why do you Need to Draw it Properly?

We covered earlier how the bass clef is a type of F clef.

This means that they show us where the note F is on the stave.

It’s really important to place the bass clef in the right position other wise you’l actually be drawing a different clef.

For instance, if you drew an F clef as shown below you’d actually be drawing a baritone clef.

Baritone Clef

Drawing the Bass Clef

Now we’ll cover how you actually draw a bass clef.

Unlike with drawing a treble clef (where there are a couple of different ways), most people draw the bass clef in the same way.

Here’s a video explaining how.

  1. Start with your pencil on the 4th line of the stave (F)
  2. Draw a curved line clockwise up to the top line of the stave (A)
  3. Curve down and diagonally across the stave finishing on or just above the 1st line of the stave (G)
  4. Draw two dots either side of the 4th line of the stave (F)

Drawing Bass Clef Practice Worksheet

Like most things, one of the best ways to learn how to do something is to practice it.

To help, we’ve got a free bass clef drawing worksheet that you can download below.

Click here to download our free drawing bass clef worksheet.

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Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 15 years, helping hundreds of thousands of students unlock the joy of music. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in 2012 and then launched Hello Music Theory in 2014. He plays the guitar, piano, bass guitar and double bass and loves teaching music theory.