<P> In Western musical notation , the staff ( US ) or stave ( UK ) ( plural for either : staves ) is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch -- or , in the case of a percussion staff , different percussion instruments . Appropriate music symbols , depending on the intended effect , are placed on the staff according to their corresponding pitch or function . Musical notes are placed by pitch , percussion notes are placed by instrument , and rests and other symbols are placed by convention . </P>
<P> In Western musical notation , the staff ( US ) or stave ( UK ) ( plural for either : staves ) is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch -- or , in the case of a percussion staff , different percussion instruments . Appropriate music symbols , depending on the intended effect , are placed on the staff according to their corresponding pitch or function . Musical notes are placed by pitch , percussion notes are placed by instrument , and rests and other symbols are placed by convention . </P>
each line and space on the staff represents a different
each line and space on the staff represents a different
musical pitch
musical pitch