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For those of us who spend our lives on the bench — whether teaching, practicing for a recital, or simply playing for the love of it – the piano has always been a singular concept: wood, felt, strings, and soul. Yet, recent global market reports reveal that the definition of our instrument is expanding and evolving in ways that affect us all. Read more

Topic: Great stave vs great staff vs grand staff  (Read 3332 times)

Offline lukebar

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Great stave vs great staff vs grand staff
on: September 30, 2016, 03:25:58 PM
Quick question to all you piano teachers out there.

I'm working on an update to one of my music education apps (Flashnote Derby) and I have a question regarding terminology.

In the U.S., the braced treble and bass staves together is called a 'grand staff'. Outside of the U.S., how do you refer to the typical piano system?

Here's what I've come up with so far...

U.S.- Grand Staff
U.K.- Great Stave
Canada- ?
Australia/New Zealand- ?
Germany- Klaviersystem
China- ?
Japan- ?
Russia- ?

These are the countries I'm interested in at the present. Let me know if you have any insider knowledge!

Luke Bartolomeo
Piano teacher and part-time app wrangler
It's a note naming drill, it's a horse race, it's an app for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad!
https://flashnotederbyapp.com

Offline ben_crosland

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Re: Great stave vs great staff vs grand staff
Reply #1 on: September 30, 2016, 08:14:39 PM
Grand Staff in the U.K., too.

I've literally never heard anyone use the term "Great Stave" ;)
Teacher: Piano and Keyboard since 1987

Composer: "Get, Set, Jazz!" published by Spartan Press, and "Cool Beans!" published by Editions Musica Ferrum.

Offline keypeg

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Re: Great stave vs great staff vs grand staff
Reply #2 on: October 03, 2016, 10:12:54 PM
I looked up "great stave" and came up with Wikki "explaining" that that is the term used in Britain.  Apparently not.  In Canada it's "grand staff".

Offline tillyfloss

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Re: Great stave vs great staff vs grand staff
Reply #3 on: October 04, 2016, 01:41:04 PM
Hi

UK here: Great Stave. (Sorry Ben_Crosland). I never use 'Staff'. I tend to use American method books and have to explain how we use different words to mean the same things. (BTW The American note terms are very useful for explaining note relationships 1/4, 1/8 and so on. However I find  the European terms useful for sounding out rhythmic relationships -qua-ver se-mi-quaver- I thought it would be confusing for them, but we seem to flip quite easily from one to the other, as long as the explanations are clear).
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