Modern musical symbols. Lines[edit] Clefs[edit] Clefs define the pitch range, or tessitura, of the staff on which it is placed. A clef is usually the leftmost symbol on a staff. Additional clefs may appear in the middle of a staff to indicate a change in register for instruments with a wide range. In early music, clefs could be placed on any of several lines on a staff. Indie Recs Playlist - Best of Indie Rock Monthly Playlist - StumbleUpon. DJ Directory: Rank: 1 to 50 - The DJ List - StumbleUpon.