tenor clef

The tenor clef is a type of C clef used in musical notation. It is placed on the musical staff to indicate that middle C is located on the fourth line from the bottom of the staff. This placement is convenient for writing music within the typical range of the tenor voice.1

Clefs, in general, are symbols at the beginning of a musical staff that establish the pitch of notes. They act as a reference point, allowing musicians to interpret all notes on the staff. The tenor clef is one of several C clefs, which are stylized forms of the letter C and are used to indicate the position of middle C. Historically, clefs evolved from Gothic letter forms of G, F, and C, which became the modern treble, bass, and C clefs, respectively.23