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About this staff paper maker
Have a tune in your head and nothing to write it on? This tool makes blank sheet music you can print at once. Choose the staff type and how many staves you want on a page. The PDF on the right changes as you click.
Staff paper is also called manuscript paper or music paper. The page is made of vector lines, not a picture, so the lines stay sharp on any printer. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no sign-up.
Features
- Five staff types — treble clef, bass clef, grand staff for piano, blank staff, and six-line guitar tab
- 6, 8, 10 or 12 staves per page — spread evenly from the top of the page to the bottom
- Five staff sizes — from 6 mm up to 12 mm for beginners
- Real clefs — drawn as vector shapes, and placed on the correct line of the staff
- Bar lines — none, or 2 to 5 measures on each staff
- Title line — type a title and composer, or leave it empty and write by hand
- Paper and margins — A4 or US Letter, portrait or landscape, three margin sizes, and up to 50 pages
- Line colour — from black to light grey, or blue
How to use it
- Pick the Staff type: treble, bass, grand staff, blank or guitar tab
- Pick the Staves per page and the Staff size
- Add Bar lines if you want the measures already marked
- Type a Title and Composer, or leave them empty
- Check the paper size and the number of Pages
- Press Print, or Download PDF, and print at Actual size (100%)
Which staff should you choose?
| You play or write | Choose |
|---|---|
| Voice, flute, violin, trumpet | Treble clef |
| Cello, trombone, bass guitar | Bass clef |
| Piano, organ, harp | Grand staff |
| Guitar, with fret numbers | Guitar tab |
| Music theory exercises | Blank staff |
What the signs mean
A staff (or stave) has five lines and four spaces. Each line and space is one note name. The clef at the start tells you which notes they are.
The treble clef is also called the G clef. Its curl wraps around the second line from the bottom, and that line is the G above middle C. The bass clef is the F clef. Its two dots sit on either side of the fourth line from the bottom, and that line is the F below middle C.
The grand staff is a treble staff above a bass staff, joined by a brace. Piano music uses it: the right hand usually reads the top staff and the left hand the bottom one. Middle C sits on a short extra line between the two. On this tool, 8 staves per page means 4 grand staff pairs.
Guitar tab works in a different way. It does not show note names. Its six lines are the six strings: the top line is the high E string, and the bottom line is the low E string. You write a fret number on a line, and 0 means an open string.
Which staff size is best?
Size here means the height of a five-line staff, from the top line to the bottom line.
- 6 mm — fits more music on a page, for neat handwriting
- 7 mm — close to the size of most printed music, and a good first choice
- 8 mm — more room for notes when your writing is large
- 10 to 12 mm — for children and beginners who are learning to draw notes
Fewer staves on a page leave more space between them. That space is useful for lyrics, fingering numbers, chord names and notes high above the staff. For songs with words, try 6 or 8 staves.
If the size you pick cannot fit on the page, the tool makes the staves a little smaller and tells you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between staff paper and manuscript paper?
Nothing. Both names mean paper printed with empty music staves. People also say music paper, sheet music paper and blank sheet music.
How many staves should a page have?
12 staves is the common choice for general writing. Use 6 or 8 for songs with lyrics or for young students, because they need more space between the lines.
Can I make landscape staff paper?
Yes. Set Orientation to Landscape. The staves become longer, which helps with long lines of music and guitar tab. Fewer staves fit, so choose 6 or 8.
Why are the lines not printing clearly?
Light grey lines can fade on a weak printer. Set the line colour to Black and the line weight to Bold. To save ink, use the Minimal style.
Can I print the music paper double-sided?
Yes. Set the printer to print on both sides, and print the PDF as usual. Every page has the same layout, so the staves on the two sides are in the same places.
Good to know
- Print at Actual size or 100%, not "Fit to page", so the staff size stays correct
- Your settings are saved in this browser for your next visit
- The title and composer are printed on every page of the PDF
Related tools
- Metronome — keep time while you write and practise
- Guitar Tuner — tune up before you try your new tab
- Tone Generator — play a pure note at any pitch
- Printable Lined Paper — for lyrics and notes
- Printable Graph Paper — squares for maths and drawing
