The word clef comes from the French, meaning “key.” In music notation, the symbol is placed at the beginning of the staff, setting a reference for, or giving a “key” to, all notes of the staff. Three clef symbols are used today: the treble, bass, and C clefs, stylized forms of the letters G, F, and C, respectively.

What is the origin of the Clefs?

clef (n.) 1570s, "character on a staff to indicate its name and pitch," so that the others may be known, from French clef (12c.) "key; musical clef; trigger," from a figurative or transferred use of classical Latin clavis, which had only the literally sense "key" (from PIE root *klau- "hook").

Who created the Clefs?

The invention of the staff is traditionally ascribed to Guido d'Arezzo in about the year 1000, although there are earlier manuscripts in which neumes (signs from which musical notes evolved) are arranged around one or two lines in order to orient the singer. Guido used three or four lines of different colours.