Which clef places middle C on the third line of the staff?

• A. Tenor clef
• B. Treble clef
• C. Bass clef
• D. Alto clef

Answer: (D)

Where middle C sits depends on the clef, and the alto clef places middle C on the third line—the center line of the staff. This means the note on that line is C, which is handy for instruments like viola that read around that middle range. In other clefs, middle C appears elsewhere: in the treble clef it lives on a ledger line below the staff; in the bass clef it sits on a ledger line above the staff; and in the tenor clef (another C clef) middle C is on the fourth line. So the placement on the third line is unique to the alto clef.