Short addition above or below a musical staff
Published by Naitik Mehta · March 28, 2026
Stuck on the clue Short addition above or below a musical staff from the New York Times Daily for March 28, 2026? We have the correct 10-letter answer, including the definition, alternative hints, as well as other answers from the same crossword. Ready to learn more about this clue?
Clue
Short addition above or below a musical staff (10)
Answer
The answer to Short addition above or below a musical staff is Ledger Line (10 letters).
Why does Ledger Line fit this clue?
This is a direct definition clue where 'Short addition above or below a musical staff' describes LEDGER LINE, a fundamental element of musical notation. A ledger line is a short horizontal line added above or below the standard five-line staff to accommodate notes that fall outside the staff's range. These lines extend the staff temporarily for specific notes, allowing composers to notate pitches that would otherwise be unwritable. The term 'ledger' comes from the accounting sense of a ruled line for recording entries, reflecting how these lines create additional 'accounts' or positions for musical notes.
What does Short addition above or below a musical staff mean?
We break down each word in the clue and show its dictionary definitions below.
staff
noun
•the five horizontal lines on which musical notes are written
•a set of parallel lines used in musical notation to indicate pitch
Where did this clue appear?
This clue appeared as 8-down in the New York Times Daily on March 28, 2026, by Katie Hoody, edited by Will Shortz. See all answers for this puzzle.
Read the NYT Wordplay column for this puzzle.
NYT Daily — Mar 28, 2026
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What does Ledger Line mean?
noun
•a short horizontal line added above or below a musical staff to extend its range for notes that are too high or too low to fit on the standard five-line staff
How to use Ledger Line in a sentence
Here are 3 examples of how to use the word Ledger Line.
•“The high C in the soprano part required a ledger line above the treble clef staff.”
•“When writing music for bass instruments, composers often use ledger lines below the staff to notate the lowest pitches.”
•“The pianist struggled to read the notes on the upper ledger lines during the challenging passage.”
Learn about related clues
All clues from the New York Times Daily, Mar 28, 2026 crossword
The New York Times Daily for March 28, 2026 was published by Katie Hoody and has 70 clues. Curious about all the answers from this crossword puzzle? View all answers here.
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Frequently asked questions about Short addition above or below a musical staff
- What is the answer to Short addition above or below a musical staff?
- The answer is Ledger Line (10 letters).
- Where did this clue appear?
- This clue was last seen in the New York Times Daily on March 28, 2026.
- How many letters does the answer to Short addition above or below a musical staff have?
- The answer has 10 letters: Ledger Line.
Author
Naitik Mehta
Co-founder
Naitik is a gaming enthusiast who loves solving daily word games and enjoys the friendly competition from time to time. He is the co-founder of Crossword Chef and enjoys thinking about how to make crossword solving more fun for everyone around the world.
Puzzle
NYT Daily — Mar 28, 2026
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