French violin clef
Historical G clef on the lowest staff line, no longer in use today.
What it means
The French violin clef is a G clef that sits on the lowest, that is, the first staff line. The clef's spiral thus encloses the first line and determines that g' lies there. It is a historical clef and no longer in use today.
Musical use
The clef was common above all in French music of the 17th and 18th centuries, for instance for violins, flutes, and oboes. It had the advantage that high parts could be written with few ledger lines because the staff space extends upward. Modern editions of old French music usually resolve it into the usual treble clef, so a change of reading is needed.
The French violin clef should be distinguished from today's usual treble clef, whose spiral encloses the second line and places g' on the second line. Both are G clefs but differ in position: in the French clef the same notes lie lower on the staff, so the range extends further upward.
Performance practice
When you read historical editions in the French violin clef, convert the notes in your head or on a sheet into the normal treble clef. Remember that the first line is g' and read on from there; practise this on simple melodies until the clef is familiar.