| Scientific Pitch Notation | |
By Brandy Kraemer, About.com Guide
Scientific Pitch Notation Keyboard
View Large Keyboard | 450x1600
- C4 is middle C
- A4 is A440 (see concert pitch)
About Scientific Pitch Notation
Pitch notation is a system of letters, numbers, and/or symbols used to easily reference a specific note or frequency, and a few variations of pitch notation exist. The main system used in the U.S. is “scientific pitch notation” (or SPN), which was first proposed in 1939 by the Acoustical Society of America.
SPN may be formatted in the following ways:
- C4
- C4
- C(4)
- C[4]
When writing SPN accidentals, the sharp or flat sign may be placed between the note and its number, unlike the image above. However, placing the accidental after the number avoids confusion with chords; G♯7 may indicate a G-sharp 7th chord.
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