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{{short description|Representation of isolatable musical sound}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2022}}
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In [[music]], '''notes''' are distinct and isolatable [[sound]]s that act as the most basic building blocks for nearly all of [[music]]. This [[musical analysis#Discretization|discretization]] facilitates performance, comprehension, and [[musical analysis|analysis]].{{sfn|Nattiez|1990|p=81, note 9}} Notes may be visually communicated by [[writing]] them in [[musical notation]].

Notes can distinguish the general [[pitch class]] or the specific [[Pitch (music)|pitch]] played by a pitched [[Musical instrument|instrument]]. Although this article focuses on pitch, notes for [[unpitched percussion instrument]]s distinguish between different percussion instruments (and/or different manners to sound them) instead of pitch. [[Note value]] expresses the relative [[Duration (music)|duration]] of the note in [[time]]. [[Dynamics (music)|Dynamics]] for a note indicate how [[Loudness|loud]] to play them. [[Articulation (music)|Articulations]] may further indicate how performers should shape the [[Envelope (music)|attack and decay]] of the note and express fluctuations in a note's [[timbre]] and [[Pitch (music)|pitch]]. Notes may even distinguish the use of different [[extended techniques]] by using special symbols.

The term ''note'' can refer to a specific musical event, for instance when saying the [[song]] "[[Happy Birthday to You]]", begins with two notes of identical pitch. Or more generally, the term can refer to a class of identically sounding events, for instance when saying "the song begins with the same note repeated twice".

== Distinguishing duration ==
{{Main article|Note value}}
{{expand section|date=March 2024}}
A note can have a [[note value]] that indicates the note's [[Duration (music)|duration]] relative to the [[musical meter]]. In order of halving duration, these values are:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!
!"American" name
!"British" name
|-
|{{music|breve}}
|[[double note]]
|breve
|-
|{{music|semibreve}}
|[[whole note]]
|semibreve
|-
|{{music|minim}}
|[[half note]]
|minim
|-
|{{music|crotchet}}
|[[quarter note]]
|crotchet
|-
|{{music|quaver}}
|[[eighth note]]
|quaver
|-
|{{music|semiquaver}}
|[[sixteenth note]]
|semiquaver
|-
|{{music|demisemiquaver}}
|[[thirty-second note]]
|demisemiquaver
|-
|{{music|hemidemisemiquaver}}
|[[sixty-fourth note]]
|hemidemisemiquaver
|-
|𝅘𝅥𝅲
|[[hundred twenty-eighth note]]
|semihemidemisemiquaver, quasihemidemisemiquaver
|-
|}<!--PLEASE DON'T ADD THE NAME "QUASIHEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER" OR "SEMIHEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER" WITHOUT A REPUTABLE PEER REVIEWED SOURCE FOR IT, SUCH AS THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF MUSIC OR A REPUTABLE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY-->
Longer note values (e.g. the [[longa (music)|longa]]) and shorter note values (e.g. the [[two hundred fifty-sixth note]]) do exist, but are very rare in modern times. These durations can further be [[Divisive rhythm|subdivided]] using [[tuplets]].

A [[rhythm]] is formed from a sequence in [[time]] of consecutive notes (without particular focus on pitch) and [[Rest (music)|rests]] (the time between notes) of various durations.

== Distinguishing pitch ==
[[File:Treble a.svg|right|250px|thumb|The note ''A'' or ''La'' notated as a symbol on a [[treble clef]] [[Musical staff|staff]].]]
[[File:Cifrado americano.JPG|right|thumb|Latin alphabet names of notes of the [[A minor]] scale on a staff.]]

=== Distinguishing pitches of a scale ===
[[Music theory]] in most [[European countries]] and others{{NoteTag|[[Solfège]] is used in [[Albania]], [[Belgium]], [[Bulgaria]], [[France]], [[Greece]], [[Italy]], [[Lithuania]], [[Portugal]], [[Romania]], [[Russia]], [[Spain]], [[Turkey]], [[Ukraine]], most [[Latin American countries]], Arabic-speaking and Persian-speaking countries.}} use the [[solfège]] naming convention. [[Fixed do solfege|Fixed do]] uses the [[syllable]]s ''re–mi–fa–sol–la–ti'' specifically for the [[C major]] scale, while [[movable do solfege|movable do]] labels notes of ''any'' [[major scale]] with that same order of syllables.

Alternatively, particularly in English- and some Dutch-speaking regions, pitch classes are typically represented by the first seven letters of the [[Latin alphabet]] (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), corresponding to the [[A minor]] scale. Several European countries, including Germany, use H instead of B (see {{Slink|2=12-tone chromatic scale|nopage=y}} for details). [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantium]] used the names ''Pa–Vu–Ga–Di–Ke–Zo–Ni'' (Πα–Βου–Γα–Δι–Κε–Ζω–Νη).<ref>{{cite book |author=Savas I. Savas |title=Byzantine Music in Theory and in Practice |publisher=Hercules Press |year=1965 |translator=Nicholas Dufault}}</ref>

In traditional [[Indian classical music|Indian music]], musical notes are called [[svara]]s and commonly represented using the seven notes, Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.

=== Writing notes on a staff ===
In a [[Sheet music|score]], each note is assigned a specific vertical position on a [[staff position]] (a line or space) on the [[Musical staff|staff]], as determined by the [[clef]]. Each line or space is assigned a note name. These names are memorized by [[musician]]s and allow them to know at a glance the proper pitch to play on their instruments.<div class="center">
<score sound="1">
\relative c' {
c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 a1 b1 c1 b1 a1 g1 f1 e1 d1 c1
}
\layout {
   \context {
     \Staff
     \remove Time_signature_engraver
     \remove Bar_engraver
    }
 } 
\midi {
  \tempo 1 = 120
}
</score>
</div>

The [[Staff (music)|staff]] above shows the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and then in reverse order, with no key signature or accidentals.

=== Accidentals ===
{{Main article|Accidental (music)}}

Notes that belong to the [[diatonic scale]] relevant in a [[Tonality|tonal]] context are called ''[[diatonic]] notes''. Notes that do not meet that criterion are called ''[[chromatic]] notes'' or ''[[accidentals]]''. Accidental symbols visually communicate a modification of a note's pitch from its tonal context. Most commonly,{{NoteTag|Another style of notation, rarely used in English, uses the suffix "is" to indicate a sharp and "es" (only "s" after A and E) for a flat (e.g. Fis for F♯, Ges for G♭, Es for E♭). This system first arose in Germany and is used in almost all European countries whose main language is not English, Greek, or a Romance language (such as French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Romanian).

In most countries using these suffixes, the letter H is used to represent what is B natural in English, the letter B is used instead of B♭, and Heses (i.e., H) is used instead of B (although Bes and Heses both denote the English B). Dutch-speakers in Belgium and the Netherlands use the same suffixes, but applied throughout to the notes A to G, so that B, B♭ and B have the same meaning as in English, although they are called B, Bes, and Beses instead of B, B flat and B double flat. Denmark also uses H, but uses Bes instead of Heses for B.}} the [[sharp (music)|sharp]] symbol ({{music|sharp}}) raises a note by a [[half step]], while the [[flat (music)|flat]] symbol ({{music|flat}}) lowers a note by a half step. This half step [[Interval (music)|interval]] is also known as a [[semitone]] (which has an [[equal temperament]] frequency ratio of [[Twelfth root of two|{{radic|2|12}}]]&nbsp;≅&nbsp;1.0595). The [[natural (music)|natural]] symbol ({{music|natural}}) indicates that any previously applied accidentals should be cancelled. Advanced musicians use the [[Sharp (music)|double-sharp]] symbol ({{music|##}}) to raise the pitch by two [[semitone]]s, the [[Flat (music)|double-flat]] symbol ({{music|bb}}) to lower it by two semitones, and even more advanced accidental symbols (e.g. for [[quarter tone]]s). Accidental symbols are placed to ''the right'' of a note's letter when written in text (e.g. F{{music|sharp}} is [[F♯ (musical note)|F-sharp]], B{{music|flat}} is [[B♭ (musical note)|B-flat]], and C{{music|natural}} is [[Diatonic scale|C natural]]), but are placed to ''the left'' of a [[notehead|note's head]] when drawn on a [[Staff (music)|staff]].

Systematic alterations to any of the 7 lettered [[pitch classes]] are communicated using a [[key signature]]. When drawn on a staff, accidental symbols are positioned in a key signature to indicate that those alterations apply to all occurrences of the lettered pitch class corresponding to each symbol's position. Additional explicitly-noted accidentals can be drawn next to noteheads to override the key signature for all subsequent notes with the same lettered pitch class in that [[Bar (music)|bar]]. However, this effect does not accumulate for subsequent accidental symbols for the same pitch class.

=== 12-tone chromatic scale ===
Assuming [[enharmonic]]ity, accidentals can create pitch equivalences between different notes (e.g. the note B{{music|sharp}} represents the same pitch as the note C). Thus, a 12-note [[chromatic scale]] adds 5 pitch classes in addition to the 7 lettered pitch classes.

The following chart lists names used in different countries for the 12 pitch classes of a [[chromatic scale]] built on C. Their corresponding symbols are in parentheses. Differences between German and English notation are highlighted in '''bold''' typeface. Although the English and Dutch names are different, the corresponding symbols are identical.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+Chromatic scale note naming conventions of various languages and countries
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | English
| rowspan="2" |C || C [[Sharp (music)|sharp]]<br> (C[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |D || D sharp<br> (D{{music|sharp}}) || rowspan="2" |E || rowspan="2" |F || F sharp<br> (F{{music|sharp}}) || rowspan="2" |G || G sharp<br> (G{{music|sharp}}) || rowspan="2" |A || A sharp<br> (A{{music|sharp}}) || rowspan="2" |'''B'''
|-
| D [[Flat (music)|flat]]<br> (D[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || E flat<br> (E{{music|flat}}) || G flat<br> (G{{music|flat}}) || A flat<br> (A{{music|flat}}) || '''B flat<br> (B{{music|flat}})'''
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | German<ref name="is">''-is'' = [[Sharp (music)|sharp]]; ''-es'' (after consonant) and ''-s'' (after vowel) = [[Flat (music)|flat]]</ref>{{NoteTag|used in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden.}}
| rowspan="2" |C || Cis<br> (C[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |D || Dis<br> (D[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |E || rowspan="2" |F || Fis<br> (F[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |G || Gis<br> (G[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |A || Ais<br> (A[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |'''H'''
|-
| Des<br> (D[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Es<br> (E[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Ges<br> (G[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || As<br> (A[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || '''B'''
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Swedish compromise<ref name="iss">''-iss'' = [[Sharp (music)|sharp]]; ''-ess'' (after consonant) and ''-ss'' (after vowel) = [[Flat (music)|flat]]</ref>
| rowspan="2" |C || Ciss<br> (C[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |D || Diss<br> (D[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |E || rowspan="2" |F || Fiss<br> (F[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |G || Giss<br> (G[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |A || Aiss<br> (A[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |'''H'''
|-
| Dess<br> (D[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Ess<br> (E[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Gess<br> (G[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Ass<br> (A[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || '''Bess<br> (B{{music|flat}})'''
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Dutch<ref name="is" />{{NoteTag|used in the Netherlands, and sometimes in Scandinavia after the 1990s, and Indonesia.}}
| rowspan="2" |C || Cis<br> (C[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |D || Dis<br> (D[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |E || rowspan="2" |F || Fis<br> (F[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |G || Gis<br> (G[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |A || Ais<br> (A[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |B
|-
| Des<br> (D[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Es<br> (E[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Ges<br> (G[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || As<br> (A[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || Bes<br> (B[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]])
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Romance languages<ref>''diesis'' = [[Sharp (music)|sharp]]; ''bemolle'' = [[Flat (music)|flat]]</ref>{{NoteTag|used in Italy (''diesis''/''bemolle'' are Italian spellings), France, Spain, Romania, Russia, Latin America, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Latvia and many other countries.}}
| rowspan="2" |do|| do diesis<br> (do[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |re || re diesis<br> (re[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |mi || rowspan="2" |fa || fa diesis<br> (fa[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |sol || sol diesis<br> (sol[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |la || la diesis<br> (la[[Sharp (music)|{{music|sharp}}]]) || rowspan="2" |si
|-
| re bemolle<br> (re[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || mi bemolle<br> (mi[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || sol bemolle<br> (sol[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || la bemolle<br> (la[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]]) || si bemolle<br> (si[[Flat (music)|{{music|flat}}]])
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | [[Byzantine music|Byzantine]]<ref>''diesis'' (or ''diez'') = [[Sharp (music)|sharp]]; ''hyphesis'' = [[Flat (music)|flat]]</ref>
| rowspan="2" |Ni || Ni diesis || rowspan="2" |Pa || Pa diesis || rowspan="2" |Vu || rowspan="2" |Ga || Ga diesis || rowspan="2" |Di || Di diesis || rowspan="2" |Ke || Ke diesis || rowspan="2" |Zo
|-
| Pa hyphesis || Vu hyphesis || Di hyphesis || Ke hyphesis || Zo hyphesis
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Japanese<ref>{{lang|ja|嬰}} (''ei'') = {{Music|sharp}} ([[Sharp (music)|sharp]]); {{lang|ja|変}} (hen) = {{Music|flat}} ([[Flat (music)|flat]])</ref>
| rowspan="2" | Ha ({{lang|ja|ハ}}) || Ei-ha<br> ({{lang|ja|嬰ハ}}) || rowspan="2" | Ni ({{lang|ja|ニ}}) || Ei-ni<br> ({{lang|ja|嬰ニ}}) || rowspan="2" | Ho ({{lang|ja|ホ}}) || rowspan="2" | He ({{lang|ja|ヘ}}) || Ei-he<br> ({{lang|ja|嬰へ}}) || rowspan="2" | To ({{lang|ja|ト}}) || Ei-to<br> ({{lang|ja|嬰ト}}) || rowspan="2" | I ({{lang|ja|イ}}) || Ei-i<br> ({{lang|ja|嬰イ}}) || rowspan="2" | Ro ({{lang|ja|ロ}})
|-
| Hen-ni<br> ({{lang|ja|変ニ}}) || Hen-ho<br> ({{lang|ja|変ホ}}) || Hen-to<br> ({{lang|ja|変ト}}) || Hen-i<br> ({{lang|ja|変イ}}) || Hen-ro<br> ({{lang|ja|変ロ}})
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani]] [[Languages of India|Indian]]<ref>According to [[Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande|Bhatkhande]] Notation. {{lang|hi-Latn|Tivra}} = {{Music|sharp}} ([[Sharp (music)|sharp]]); {{lang|hi-Latn|Komal}} = {{Music|flat}} ([[flat (music)|flat]])</ref>
| Sa<br> ({{lang|sa|सा}}) || Re Komal<br> ({{lang|sa|रे॒}}) || Re<br> ({{lang|sa|रे}}) || Ga Komal<br> ({{lang|sa|ग॒}}) || Ga<br> ({{lang|sa|ग}}) || Ma<br> ({{lang|sa|म}}) || Ma {{lang|hi-Latn|Tivra}}<br> ({{lang|sa|म॑}}) || Pa<br> ({{lang|sa|प}}) || Dha Komal<br> ({{lang|sa|ध॒}}) || Dha<br> ({{lang|sa|ध}}) || Ni Komal<br> ({{lang|sa|नि॒}}) || Ni<br> ({{lang|sa|नि}})
|-
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] Indian
| rowspan="2" |Sa || rowspan="2" |Shuddha Ri (R1) || Chatushruti Ri (R2) || Sadharana Ga (G2) || rowspan="2" |Antara Ga (G3) || rowspan="2" |Shuddha Ma (M1) || rowspan="2" |Prati Ma (M2) || rowspan="2" |Pa || rowspan="2" |Shuddha Dha (D1) || Chatushruti Dha (D2) || Kaisika Ni (N2) || rowspan="2" |Kakali Ni (N3)
|-
| Shuddha Ga (G1) || Shatshruti Ri (R3) || Shuddha Ni (N1) || Shatshruti Dha (D3)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Music of Bengal|Bengali]] Indian<ref>According to Akarmatrik Notation (আকারমাত্রিক স্বরলিপি). Kôṛi = {{Music|sharp}} ([[Sharp (music)|sharp]]); Komôl = {{Music|flat}} ([[flat (music)|flat]])</ref>
| Sa<br> ({{lang|bn|সা}}) || Komôl Re<br> ({{lang|bn|ঋ}}) || Re<br> ({{lang|bn|রে}}) || Komôl Ga<br> ({{lang|bn|জ্ঞ}}) || Ga<br> ({{lang|bn|গ}}) || Ma<br> ({{lang|bn|ম}}) || Kôṛi Ma<br> ({{lang|bn|হ্ম}}) || Pa<br> ({{lang|bn|প}}) || Komôl Dha<br> ({{lang|bn|দ}}) || Dha<br> ({{lang|bn|ধ}}) || Komôl Ni<br> ({{lang|bn|ণ}}) || Ni<br> ({{lang|bn|নি}})
|}

=== Distinguishing pitches of different octaves ===
Two pitches that are any number of [[octave]]s apart (i.e. their [[fundamental frequency|fundamental frequencies]] are in a ratio equal to a [[power of two]]) are perceived as very similar. Because of that, all notes with these kinds of relations can be grouped under the same [[pitch class]] and are often given the same name.

The top note of a [[musical scale]] is the bottom note's second [[harmonic]] and has double the bottom note's frequency. Because both notes belong to the same pitch class, they are often called by the same name. That top note may also be referred to as the "[[octave]]" of the bottom note, since an octave is the [[Interval (music)|interval]] between a note and another with double frequency.

==== Scientific versus Helmholtz pitch notation ====
{{See also|Piano key frequencies}}

Two nomenclature systems for differentiating pitches that have the same pitch class but which fall into different octaves are:

# [[Helmholtz pitch notation]], which distinguishes octaves using [[prime symbol]]s and [[letter case]] of the pitch class letter.
#* The octave below [[middle C|tenor '''C''']] is called the "great" octave. Notes in it and are written as [[upper case]] letters.
#** The next lower octave is named "contra". Notes in it include a prime symbol below the note's letter.
#** Names of subsequent lower octaves are preceded with "sub". Notes in each include an additional prime symbol below the note's letter.
#* The octave starting at tenor '''C''' is called the "small" octave. Notes in it are written as [[lower case]] letters, so [[middle C|tenor '''C''']] itself is written '''c''' in [[Helmholtz pitch notation|Helmholtz notation]].
#** The next higher octave is called "one-lined". Notes in it include a prime symbol above the note's letter, so middle '''C''' is written '''c′'''.
#** Names of subsequently higher octaves use higher numbers before the "lined". Notes in each include an addition prime symbol above the note's letter.
# [[Scientific pitch notation]], where a pitch class letter ('''C''', '''D''', '''E''', '''F''', '''G''', '''A''', '''B''') is followed by a subscript [[Arabic numerals|Arabic numeral]] designating a specific octave.
#* Middle '''C''' is named '''C'''<sub>4</sub> and is the start of the 4th octave.
#** Higher octaves use successively higher number and lower octaves use successively lower numbers.
#** The lowest note on most pianos is '''A'''<sub>0</sub>, the highest is '''C'''<sub>8</sub>.

For instance, the standard [[A440 (pitch standard)|440&nbsp;Hz]] tuning pitch is named '''A'''<sub>4</sub> in scientific notation and instead named '''a′''' in Helmholtz notation.

Meanwhile, the [[electronic musical instrument]] standard called [[MIDI]] doesn't specifically designate pitch classes, but instead names pitches by counting from its lowest note: number&nbsp;0 {{nobr|('''C'''<sub>−1</sub> ≈ 8.1758 Hz)}}; up chromatically to its highest: number 127 {{nobr|('''G'''<sub>9</sub> ≈ 12,544 Hz).}} (Although the [[MIDI]] ''standard'' is clear, the octaves actually played by any one [[MIDI]] device don't necessarily match the octaves shown below, especially in older instruments.)

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Comparison of pitch naming conventions over different octaves
!colspan="2"| [[Helmholtz pitch notation|Helmholtz]] notation
!rowspan="2"| [[Scientific pitch notation|'Scientific']]<br/>note<br/>names
!rowspan="2"| [[MIDI]]<br/>note<br/>numbers
!rowspan="2"| Frequency of<br/>that octave's [[A (musical note)|'''A''']]<br/>(in [[Hertz]])
|-
! octave name || note names 
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; sub-subcontra &nbsp;
| '''C„‚''' – '''B„‚''' || '''C'''{{sub|−1}} – '''B'''{{sub|−1}} || {{0}}0 – 11
|style="text-align:right"| 13.75 &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; sub-contra
| '''C„''' – '''B„''' || '''C'''{{sub|0}} – '''B'''{{sub|0}} || 12 – 23
|style="text-align:right"| 27.5{{0}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; contra
| '''C‚''' – '''B‚''' || '''C'''{{sub|1}} – '''B'''{{sub|1}} || 24 – 35
|style="text-align:right"| 55{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; great
| '''C''' – '''B''' || '''C'''{{sub|2}} – '''B'''{{sub|2}} || 36 – 47
|style="text-align:right"| 110{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; small
| '''c''' – '''b''' || '''C'''{{sub|3}} – '''B'''{{sub|3}} || 48 – 59
|style="text-align:right"| 220{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; one-lined
| '''c′<nowiki/>''' – '''b′<nowiki/>''' || '''C'''{{sub|4}} – '''B'''{{sub|4}} || 60 – 71
|style="text-align:right"| 440{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; two-lined
| '''c″''' – '''b″''' || '''C'''{{sub|5}} – '''B'''{{sub|5}} || 72 – 83
|style="text-align:right"| 880{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; three-lined
| '''c‴''' – '''b‴''' || '''C'''{{sub|6}} – '''B'''{{sub|6}} || 84 – 95
|style="text-align:right"| 1 760{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; four-lined
| '''c⁗''' – '''b⁗''' || '''C'''{{sub|7}} – '''B'''{{sub|7}} || {{0}}96 – 107
|style="text-align:right"| 3 520{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; five-lined
| '''c″‴''' – '''b″‴''' || '''C'''{{sub|8}} – '''B'''{{sub|8}} || 108 – 119
|style="text-align:right"| 7 040{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|-
|style="text-align:left"| &nbsp; six-lined
| '''c″⁗''' – '''b″⁗''' || '''C'''{{sub|9}} – '''B'''{{sub|9}} || 120 – 127<br/>(<small>ends at '''G'''<sub>9</sub></small>)
|style="text-align:right"| 14 080{{0|.00}} &emsp;
|}

=== Pitch frequency in hertz ===
{{Main|Music and mathematics|Pitch (music)}}Pitch is associated with the [[frequency]] of physical [[oscillations]] measured in [[hertz]] (Hz) representing the number of these oscillations per second. While notes can have any arbitrary frequency, notes in [[Consonance and dissonance|more consonant]] music tends to have pitches with simpler mathematical ratios to each other.

Western music defines pitches around a central reference "[[concert pitch]]" of A<sub>4</sub>, [[History of pitch standards in Western music|currently standardized]] as 440&nbsp;Hz. Notes played ''in tune'' with the [[12 equal temperament]] system will be an [[integer]] number <math>h</math> of half-steps above (positive <math>h</math>) or below (negative <math>h</math>) that reference note, and thus have a frequency of:
:<math>f = 2^\frac{h}{12} \times 440 \text{ Hz}\,</math>

Octaves automatically yield [[exponentiation|powers]] of two times the original frequency, since <math>h</math> can be expressed as <math>12v</math> when <math>h</math> is a multiple of 12 (with <math>v</math> being the number of octaves up or down). Thus the above formula reduces to yield a [[power of 2]] multiplied by 440&nbsp;Hz:

:<math>\begin{align}
f &= 2^\frac{12v}{12} \times \text{440 Hz}\\
&= 2^v \times \text{440 Hz} \,.
\end{align} </math>

==== Logarithmic scale ====
[[File:frequency vs name.svg|right|[[Logarithmic plot]] of frequency in [[hertz]] versus pitch of a [[chromatic scale]] starting on [[middle C]]. Each subsequent note has a pitch equal to the frequency of the prior note's pitch multiplied by {{radic|2|12}}.|thumb|228x228px]]The [[base-2 logarithm]] of the above frequency–pitch relation conveniently results in a linear relationship with <math>h</math> or <math>v</math>:
:<math>\begin{align}
\log_{2}(f) &= \tfrac{h}{12} + \log_{2}(\text{440 Hz})\\
&= v + \log_{2}(\text{440 Hz})
\end{align}</math>

When dealing specifically with intervals (rather than absolute frequency), the constant <math>\log_{2}(\text{440 Hz})</math> can be conveniently ignored, because the ''difference'' between any two frequencies <math>f_1</math> and <math>f_2</math> in this logarithmic scale simplifies to:
:<math>\begin{align}
\log_{2}(f_1) - \log_{2}(f_2) &= \tfrac{h_1}{12} - \tfrac{h_2}{12}\\
&= v_1 - v_2 \,.
\end{align}</math>

[[cent (music)|Cents]] are a convenient unit for humans to express finer divisions of this logarithmic scale that are {{fraction|1|100{{sup|th}}}} of an equally-[[Musical temperament|tempered]] semitone. Since one semitone equals 100&nbsp;[[cent (music)|cents]], one octave equals 12&nbsp;⋅&nbsp;100&nbsp;cents&nbsp;=&nbsp;1200&nbsp;cents. Cents correspond to a ''difference'' in this logarithmic scale, however in the regular linear scale of frequency, adding 1 cent corresponds to ''multiplying'' a frequency by {{radic|2|1200}}&nbsp;(≅&nbsp;{{val|1.000578}}).

==== MIDI ====
For use with the [[MIDI]] (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard, a frequency mapping is defined by:

:<math>p = 69 + 12 \times \log_2\frac{f}{440 \text{ Hz}} \, ,</math>

where <math>p</math> is the MIDI note number. 69 is the number of semitones between C<sub>−1</sub> (MIDI note 0) and A<sub>4</sub>.

Conversely, the formula to determine frequency from a MIDI note <math>p</math> is:

:<math>f=2^\frac{p-69}{12} \times 440 \text{ Hz} \, .</math>

{{anchor|History of note names}}<!-- anchor used by other linking pages -->

=== Pitch names and their history ===
{{Overly detailed|section|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Map of current European preferred note naming.png|238px|thumb|Map of current European preferred note naming
{{legend|#0000ff|Fixed do solfège (Si,La diesis, Si bemolle)}}
{{legend|#ff0000|English system (B, A#, Bb)}}
{{legend|#00ff00|German system (H, Ais,B)}}
{{legend|#00ffff|Dutch system (B, Ais,Bes)}}
{{legend|#ffff00|Danish system (H, A#, Bb)}}
{{legend|#ababab|No data}}
]]
{{main|Letter notation}}
{{Anchor|Note names and their history}}Music notation systems have used letters of the [[alphabet]] for centuries. The 6th&nbsp;century philosopher [[Boethius]] is known to have used the first fourteen letters of the classical [[Latin alphabet]] (the [[letter J]] did not exist until the 16th&nbsp;century),
:'''A &nbsp; B &nbsp; C &nbsp; D &nbsp; E &nbsp; F &nbsp; G &nbsp; H &nbsp; I &nbsp; K &nbsp; L &nbsp; M &nbsp; N &nbsp; O'''
to signify the notes of the two-octave range that was in use at the time<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Boethius |first=A.M.S. |last=Boethius |others={{ill|Gottfried Friedlein|de}} [[Boethius]] |title={{IMSLP|work=De institutione musica ([[Boethius|Boëthius, Anicius Manlius Severinus]]) &thinsp; |cname=''De institutione musica'' |descr=text}} |at=Book&nbsp;IV, chapter&nbsp;14, page&nbsp;341 }}</ref> and in modern [[scientific pitch notation]] are represented as
:'''A'''{{sub|2}} &nbsp; '''B'''{{sub|2}} &nbsp; '''C'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''D'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''E'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''F'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''G'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''A'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''B'''{{sub|3}} &nbsp; '''C'''{{sub|4}} &nbsp; '''D'''{{sub|4}} &nbsp; '''E'''{{sub|4}} &nbsp; '''F'''{{sub|4}} &nbsp; '''G'''{{sub|4}}

Though it is not known whether this was his devising or common usage at the time, this is nonetheless called ''Boethian notation''. Although Boethius is the first author known to use this nomenclature in the literature, [[Ptolemy]] wrote of the two-octave range five centuries before, calling it the ''perfect system'' or ''complete system'' – as opposed to other, smaller-range note systems that did not contain all possible species of octave (i.e., the seven octaves starting from '''A''', '''B''', '''C''', '''D''', '''E''', '''F''', and '''G'''). A modified form of Boethius' notation later appeared in the ''Dialogus de musica'' (ca. 1000) by Pseudo-Odo, in a discussion of the division of the [[monochord]].<ref>{{cite thesis |title=Medieval letter notations: A survey of the sources |first=Alma Colk |last=Browne |degree=Ph.D. |publisher=University of Illinois |place=Urbana-Champaign, IL |year=1979}}
:
{{cite encyclopedia |title=Medieval canonics |first=Jan |last=Herlinger |encyclopedia=The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory |editor-first=Thomas |editor-last=Christensen |year=2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |place=Cambridge, UK |isbn=0-521-62371-5 }}</ref>

Following this, the range (or compass) of used notes was extended to three octaves, and the system of repeating letters '''A'''–'''G''' in each octave was introduced, these being written as [[lower-case]] for the second octave ('''a'''–'''g''') and double lower-case letters for the third ('''aa'''–'''gg'''). When the range was extended down by one note, to a '''G''', that note was denoted using the Greek letter [[gamma]] ({{small|'''{{math|Γ}}'''}}), the lowest note in Medieval music notation.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} (It is from this gamma that the French word for scale, {{lang|fr|gamme}} derives,{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} and the English word [[hexachord|''gamut'']], from "gamma-ut".{{citation needed|date=April 2023}})

The remaining five notes of the chromatic scale (the black keys on a piano keyboard) were added gradually; the first being '''B'''{{music|flat}}, since '''B''' was flattened in certain [[mode (music)|modes]] to avoid the dissonant [[tritone]] interval. This change was not always shown in notation, but when written, '''B'''{{music|flat}} ('''B'''&nbsp;flat) was written as a Latin, cursive "{{mvar|𝒷}}", and '''B'''{{music|natural}} ('''B'''&nbsp;natural) a Gothic script (known as [[Blackletter]]) or "hard-edged" {{math|𝔟}}. These evolved into the modern flat ({{music|flat}}) and natural ({{music|natural}}) symbols respectively. The sharp symbol arose from a {{math|ƀ}} (barred&nbsp;b), called the "cancelled&nbsp;b".{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}<!-- Incorrect claim: The "sharp" symbol arose from German handwriting (modern "sch") of black letter "ſch" ≈ "#" as a scrawled abbreviation for ''scharf'' (sharp). Likewise "b" is an abbreviation for ''blatt'', a now-unused word for "unappealing" (flat). -->

==== B♭, B and H ====
<!--linked from [[d:Q131214790]]-->

In parts of Europe, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Denmark, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Finland, and Iceland (and Sweden before the 1990s), the [[Blackletter|Gothic]]&nbsp;{{math|𝔟}} transformed into the letter '''h''' (possibly for ''[[wikt:hart#German|hart]]'', German for "harsh", as opposed to ''[[wikt:Blatt#German|blatt]]'', German for "planar", or just because the Gothic&nbsp;{{math|𝔟}} and {{math|𝔥}} resemble each other). Therefore, in current German music notation, '''H''' is used instead of '''B'''{{music|natural}} ('''B'''&nbsp;natural), and '''B''' instead of '''B'''{{music|flat}} ('''B'''&nbsp;flat). Occasionally, music written in [[German language|German]] for international use will use '''H''' for '''B'''&nbsp;natural and '''B'''{{sup|b}} for '''B'''&nbsp;flat (with a modern-script lower-case&nbsp;b, instead of a flat sign, {{music|b}}).{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} Since a {{lang|de|Bes}} or '''B'''{{music|flat}} in Northern Europe (notated '''B'''{{music|bb}} in modern convention) is both rare and unorthodox (more likely to be expressed as Heses), it is generally clear what this notation means.

==== System "do–re–mi–fa–sol–la–si" ====

In Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Russian, Mongolian, Flemish, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Turkish and Vietnamese the note names are ''do–re–mi–fa–sol–la–si'' rather than '''C–D–E–F–G–A–B'''. These names follow the original names reputedly given by [[Guido d'Arezzo]], who had taken them from the first syllables of the first six musical phrases of a [[Gregorian chant]] melody ''[[Ut queant laxis]]'', whose successive lines began on the appropriate scale degrees. These became the basis of the [[solfège]] system. For ease of singing, the name ''ut'' was largely replaced by ''do'' (most likely from the beginning of ''Dominus'', "Lord"), though ''ut'' is still used in some places. It was the Italian musicologist and humanist [[Giovanni Battista Doni]] (1595–1647) who successfully promoted renaming the name of the note from ''ut'' to ''do''. For the seventh degree, the name ''si'' (from ''Sancte Iohannes'', [[John the Baptist|St.&nbsp;John]], to whom the hymn is dedicated), though in some regions the seventh is named ''ti'' (again, easier to pronounce while singing).{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

== See also ==
*[[Ghost note]]
*[[Grace note]]
*[[Letter notation]]
*[[Musical tone]]
*[[Pensato]]
*[[Shape note]]
*[[Universal key]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|last=Nattiez|first=Jean-Jacques|author-link=Jean-Jacques Nattiez|year=1990|title=Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music|publisher=Princeton University Press |trans-title=Musicologie générale et sémiologie|orig-year=1987|translator=[[Carolyn Abbate]]|isbn=0-691-02714-5}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Musical notes}}
*[http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/music/note/ Converter: Frequencies to note name, ± cents]
*[http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/notes.html Note names, keyboard positions, frequencies and MIDI numbers]
*[http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-notenames.htm Music notation systems − Frequencies of equal temperament tuning – The English and American system versus the German system]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081219095621/http://www.adamsatoms.com/notes/ Frequencies of musical notes]
*[https://blog.sheetmusicplus.com/2015/12/30/learn-how-to-read-sheet-music-notes/ Learn How to Read Sheet Music]
*[https://www.4attheclub.de/notenpapier-notenblatt/ Free music paper for printing and downloading]

{{Musical notation}}
{{Consonance and dissonance}}
{{Harmony}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Musical notation]]