The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 4 letter word BASS CLEF
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
A
S
S
C
L
E
F
More clues leading to the result BASS CLEF
- Scales played in key following symbol on score
- Scored symbol on fish caught by port, mainly
- Where you might find flat fish caught and almost abandoned
- A flat could be viewed in this location
- Three notes about misbehaving class — it’s seen by staff?
- Symbol in music book linked to scales played with frequency
- Fool in book almost split symbol with stave
- Staff sign half-hearted complaint about naughty class
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "symbol on score" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case symbol on score = bass clef.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.