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How do ledger lines extend the range of a five-line staff?
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musical notation
Sheet music showing musical notation.
In Western music, the staff serves as a visual framework consisting of five parallel horizontal lines used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Because the five-line system has a limited range, composers use ledger lines to extend it.
These are short, individual lines added above or below the staff to accommodate notes that fall outside the standard five-line range. By placing these lines as needed, the system allows for the notation of pitches that are higher or lower than those contained within the staff itself, effectively enabling the musical range to expand without limit.12