Printable staff paper
Blank sheet music to print, free: pick how many staves, the clef, bar lines and paper size, then print it or save it as a PDF. Or download one of the ready-made staff paper PDFs below, for you, your students and your class.
Staff paper PDFs to download
Six ready-made sheets, each one US Letter page that also prints on A4. Open one and print it, or keep the file for later.
- Blank staff paper, 12 staves (PDF)
The most music on a page, for composing and copying parts.
- Blank staff paper, 8 staves (PDF)
More room between staves for notes above and below them.
- Large staff paper, 6 staves (PDF)
Big staves for beginners and young students writing by hand.
- Treble clef staff paper (PDF)
For voice, violin, flute, guitar and the piano right hand.
- Bass clef staff paper (PDF)
For cello, bass, trombone, bassoon and the piano left hand.
- Grand staff paper for piano (PDF)
Treble and bass staves joined in pairs, the way piano music is written.
Which staff paper should I use?
Pick the clef your instrument reads, so you write only the notes, not the clef, on every line. Instruments that read both clefs at once, like the piano, use the grand staff: a treble staff and a bass staff joined at the left.
| You play or write for | Staff paper |
|---|---|
| Voice, violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, guitar | Treble clef |
| Cello, double bass, bassoon, trombone, tuba, bass guitar | Bass clef |
| Piano, organ, harp, or both hands at a keyboard | Grand staff |
| Viola, or a clef you will write in yourself | Blank, no clef |
| Beginners and young students writing by hand | Large, 6 staves |
| Composing, arranging, copying parts | Blank, 12 staves |
Staff paper, manuscript paper, blank sheet music
They are three names for one thing: a page of empty staves, each staff five lines with four spaces between them, ready for notes. Manuscript paper is the older name, from the days when every score was copied by hand; music paper and blank sheet music are the everyday ones. On this site it is all staff paper, and the sheet is the same whichever name you searched.
The size of the staves matters more than the name. Fewer staves on a page means taller staves and bigger gaps, which is easier for young hands and for writing lyrics or fingerings underneath. More staves fit more music, which is what composers and arrangers usually want. The generator above draws 6, 8, 10 or 12 staves a page, with a treble clef, a bass clef, grand staves for piano, or none. It can divide each staff into 2, 3 or 4 bars, add a title, name and date line at the top, and draw the page for US Letter or A4.
How to print staff paper
- Choose how many staves you want on the page: 12 fit more music, 6 or 8 leave bigger staves that are easier to write in by hand.
- Pick a clef, or none to write your own: treble for most melody instruments and voices, bass for cello, bass and the left hand, grand staff for piano.
- Add bar lines if you want the staves divided into bars, and a title, name and date line if the sheet is for a class.
- Choose US Letter or A4, then press Print this staff paper. Set the same paper in the print window and the scale to 100% or Fit to page; the sheet prints without the site around it. To keep a file, choose Save as PDF as the printer.
The notes on the lines and spaces
Middle C sits on a short ledger line between the two staves: just below the treble staff and just above the bass staff. More charts to print are on the printables page.
Questions
Is the staff paper free to print and copy?
Yes. Print as many sheets as you like, for yourself, your students or a class.
What is a grand staff?
A treble staff and a bass staff joined at the left, read together. Piano music uses it: the right hand usually reads the top staff and the left hand the bottom.
How do I remember the notes on the lines and spaces?
On the treble staff the lines are E, G, B, D, F and the spaces spell FACE. On the bass staff the lines are G, B, D, F, A and the spaces are A, C, E, G. Many teachers turn the line letters into a sentence to remember them.
Is staff paper the same as manuscript paper or blank sheet music?
Yes. Staff paper, manuscript paper, music paper and blank sheet music are names for the same thing: pages of empty five-line staves to write music on. Manuscript paper is the older, more formal name.
How many staves should staff paper have?
Twelve staves fit the most music on a Letter page and suit composing or copying parts. Eight leave room for notes above and below each staff. Six give big staves for beginners and young students who write large.
Can I download staff paper as a PDF?
Yes. Six ready-made PDFs are on this page: blank with 12, 8 or 6 staves, treble clef, bass clef, and grand staff for piano. For any other combination, set the generator and choose Save as PDF in the print window.
Can I print it on A4 paper?
Yes. Choose A4 under Paper size and the generator draws the sheet for A4, then pick A4 in the print window. The ready-made PDFs are US Letter: print them on A4 with Fit to page, which leaves a slightly wider margin at the top and bottom.
Can I get staff paper with bar lines or a name line?
Yes. Set Bars per staff to 2, 3 or 4 to divide every staff into equal bars, and tick Title, name and date lines to add them at the top of the page, for worksheets and class handouts.