Free Printable Music Staff Paper
Blank manuscript paper in standard, piano grand-staff and guitar-tab layouts, with adjustable staff size and bar lines.
Ready-to-print music staff paper PDFs
Want a one-click download? These PDFs use the preset settings, with a 10 mm margin, and print at actual size.
About music staff paper
Music manuscript paper is the blank page for writing down melodies, harmonies and arrangements by hand. A standard staff has five lines, a grand staff for piano joins two staves, and guitar tablature uses six lines, one for each string.
Choose the layout and set the space between staff lines to suit your pen. A small gap fits a lot of music on the page, and a large gap is easier for children and beginners. You can also set the number of measures per line and the distance between systems.
Bar lines are optional. Leave them out for free-form sketching or add them to keep measures aligned.
What you can use it for
- Composing and arranging by hand
- Piano and theory lessons
- Guitar tab for riffs and chord sketches
- Music theory homework and worksheets
- Teaching notation to children
The options explained
- Staff type. Standard five-line staff, piano grand staff with two staves, or guitar tab with six lines.
- Space between staff lines. Gap between lines. 2 mm is a comfortable size for pencil, and larger gaps suit beginners.
- Space between systems. Blank space between one staff (or pair of staves) and the next.
- Measures per line. Evenly spaced bar lines. Use 0 for none.
- Line joining the staves. Draws the vertical line at the left edge and, for piano, a bracket.
Printing tips
- Use a soft pencil so you can erase and revise.
- For piano, 12 mm between the two staves leaves room for ledger lines.
- Clefs and key signatures are not printed, so draw in the ones you need after printing.
For more detail, read the guide to printing paper at home.
Frequently asked questions
How many lines does a music staff have?
Five. Guitar tablature has six, one for each string.
How many staves fit on one page?
With the default settings a Letter page fits about twelve staves. Larger spacing gives fewer.
Does the paper include clefs?
No. It is blank manuscript paper, so you can add the clef, key signature and time signature you need.
Can I print piano staff paper?
Yes. Choose Piano grand staff, which draws pairs of staves joined with a bracket.
