Definition
Every pitch has a name (Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si or C D E F G A B) and an octave number. The name indicates the pitch class, the number the octave it sits in. The practical problem: there are several conventions and DAWs don't agree with one another.
Syllables and letters
| Italian | English | German |
|---|---|---|
| Do | C | C |
| Re | D | D |
| Mi | E | E |
| Fa | F | F |
| Sol | G | G |
| La | A | A |
| Si | B | H (B = B-flat) |
In the German system B-flat is called B and B natural is called H: this is why the motif B–A–C–H exists (Bb–A–C–B). Accidentals in German are added with -is (sharp) and -es (flat): Fis = F#, Es = Eb, As = Ab.
Octave conventions
- Scientific (international): the octave always starts on C. Middle C is C4 (261.63 Hz), the tuning A is A4 = 440 Hz. The piano runs from A0 (27.5 Hz) to C8 (4186 Hz).
- Franco-Belgian and Italian: middle C is Do3 and the tuning A is La3 = 440 Hz. In Italian conservatories people say “La3” for the tuning A.
- Helmholtz (old and German texts): C, c, c', c''… with middle C = c'.
- DAW and MIDI: MIDI note 60 is middle C, but the name changes: FL Studio calls it C5, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Cubase call it C3, scientific notation C4. When a tutorial says “play C3”, always check which software it refers to.
| MIDI note | Scientific | Italian | FL Studio | Ableton/Logic | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | A0 | La-1 | A1 | A-1 | 27.50 Hz |
| 24 | C1 | Do0 | C2 | C0 | 32.70 Hz |
| 36 | C2 | Do1 | C3 | C1 | 65.41 Hz |
| 48 | C3 | Do2 | C4 | C2 | 130.81 Hz |
| 60 | C4 | Do3 | C5 | C3 | 261.63 Hz |
| 69 | A4 | La3 | A5 | A3 | 440.00 Hz |
| 72 | C5 | Do4 | C6 | C4 | 523.25 Hz |
Why it matters for a producer
- 808s and subs: an 808 tuned to F at 43.65 Hz is F1 (scientific) = F2 in FL's Piano roll. Below 30 Hz (below about B0) many systems reproduce almost nothing.
- Vocal ranges: the Harmony lessons use scientific notation; a pop tenor often pushes up to G4–A4 in full voice, a female voice in belting often moves between G4 and E5.
- Instruments: the lowest string of the 4-string bass is E1 (41.20 Hz), that of the guitar E2 (82.41 Hz), the cello goes down to C2 (65.41 Hz), the double bass to E1.
Rules that prevent mistakes
- The octave number “changes” on C, not on A: B3 is just below C4, so B3 and C4 are a semitone apart.
- An altered note keeps the number of the written natural note: B#3 sounds like C4 and Cb4 sounds like B3 (careful: Cb4 is below C4).
- In Italian the syllable is written with a capital initial and the number attached (Do3, Fa#2).
Musical example
The riff of “Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes) starts on E and is played on guitar with a pitch shifter an octave down: the real note is about E2 (82 Hz), that is E3 in FL Studio's Piano roll and E1 in Ableton's nomenclature. It's the same note with three different names.
Exercise
- In FL Studio open Wave Candy or Fruity Parametric EQ 2 as an analyzer and play A5 in the Piano roll: a peak at 440 Hz should appear.
- Build a personal “FL Studio → scientific” cheat sheet (FL = scientific + 1) and keep it near the monitor.
- Note the real range of your voice in scientific notation: you'll need it to choose the key for toplines.
Links
Sound and Pitch: Frequency, Tuning Pitch, and MIDI; The Staff and Clefs; Transposition and Transposing Instruments.