ledger line

/ˈlɛdʒər ˌlaɪn/

Other forms: ledger lines

In music, a ledger line is a short, extra line above or below the main staff, which has five lines. Middle C is an example of a note on a ledger line. It sits on the ledger line directly below the treble clef staff, or directly above the bass clef staff.

To figure out what note you're reading on a ledger line, count the spaces and lines in order from the bottom or top note of the staff, as if the ledger line was just added to the staff. If the bottom line on the staff is E, as it is on the treble clef, the space directly below it is D, making the first ledger line below it Middle C. The space directly below that is B, and the second ledger line is A. And so on.

Definitions of ledger line

1. noun

   (music) a short horizontal line above or below the staff for writing notes that are outside the staff’s range
   synonyms: leger line

   type of:

   line

   a mark that is long relative to its width