Note Names, Accidentals, and Octaves

Learn about note names, accidentals, and octaves, which are ways to represent notes in music.

1. Note Names

Note names refer to the letters that represent the absolute pitch of a specific note, and they consist of the following seven letters.

  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • A
  • B

2. Sharp (♯), Flat (♭), and Natural (♮)

The symbols ♯, ♭, and ♮ are used to express altered pitches. Each symbol has the following meanings:

  • ♯ (Sharp): Raises the pitch of the note by a half-step.
  • ♭ (Flat): Lowers the pitch of the note by a half-step.
  • ♮ (Natural): Cancels the effect of ♯ or ♭ and returns the note to its original pitch.

For example: C♯ is a half-step raised note from C, and B♭ is a half-step lowered note from B. You can also use two accidentals in succession, such as ♯♯ or ♭♭, to express a note altered by a whole step (half-step + half-step).

Good to know

Enharmonic Notes

Two notes that have the same pitch but are written differently due to the use of ♯ or ♭ are called enharmonic notes.

For example: C♯ = D♭, G♯ = A♭, E♯ = F

3. Key Signatures and Accidentals

Key signatures and accidentals are referred to depending on the placement of sharp (♯) or flat (♭) symbols. A key signature is placed to the right of the clef and indicates the key of the piece. Unlike accidentals, the key signature affects all notes in the piece regardless of octave.

An accidental is placed to the left of the note and is temporarily applied to the note within the measure.

Key Signatures

Accidentals

We will explore this topic further in the Key Signatures and Key Concepts section.

4. Octave

In modern music, a twelve-tone system that includes the seven natural notes and five accidentals is used, and these twelve notes form one octave. The term 'octave' can refer to the following concepts depending on the context:

  1. A Group of 12 Tones(For example, the group of notes from C to the next C represents one octave.)

    The twelve notes together make up one octave.

  2. The Absolute Pitch of a Note(For example, A4 refers to the A note in the 4th octave.)
  3. The Pitch Difference Between Two Notes of the Same Name(For example, the distance between A3 and A4 is called 'one octave difference.')

    A3 is the A note in the 3rd octave, and A4 is the A note in the 4th octave, and these two notes are one octave apart.

Good to know

Notes that are one octave apart have exactly double the frequency difference (Hz). For example, the frequency of A4 is 440Hz, A3 is 220Hz, and A5 is 880Hz.

This topic will be covered in more detail in the 5th Circle section.