You must have seen
a piano or a digital keyboard (synthesizer). In order to play these instruments a keyboard is provided which is called musical keyboard. The keyboard has sets of black and white keys. If you look closely the pattern of 12 keys (5 black and 7 whites) is repeated several times on the keyboard.
Small or cheap pianos may have lesser number of these sets while bigger pianos may have 5 or more such sets.
All music is made up of twelve different notes which means 12 fixed pitches. Notes increase in pitch as you move to left to right on the keyboard.
The seven white keys (notes) are named C D E F G A B. Moving from left to right when you reach note B, the next note is again called C. Although its name is same but it has higher pitch than the previous note C. If you play both notes (C note from two different sets) together you will notice that in spite of the different pitches they are in fact the same note. This special relationship is called Octave.
Actually notes one octave apart are different in their frequencies. The frequency of higher octave note is exactly double the frequency of the same note in previous octave.
a piano or a digital keyboard (synthesizer). In order to play these instruments a keyboard is provided which is called musical keyboard. The keyboard has sets of black and white keys. If you look closely the pattern of 12 keys (5 black and 7 whites) is repeated several times on the keyboard.Small or cheap pianos may have lesser number of these sets while bigger pianos may have 5 or more such sets.
All music is made up of twelve different notes which means 12 fixed pitches. Notes increase in pitch as you move to left to right on the keyboard.
The seven white keys (notes) are named C D E F G A B. Moving from left to right when you reach note B, the next note is again called C. Although its name is same but it has higher pitch than the previous note C. If you play both notes (C note from two different sets) together you will notice that in spite of the different pitches they are in fact the same note. This special relationship is called Octave.
Actually notes one octave apart are different in their frequencies. The frequency of higher octave note is exactly double the frequency of the same note in previous octave.
Sharps and flats
The pitch difference between two notes (or keys) is called semi-tone. A semi-tone is 1/12th of an octave. For example keys E and F are one semi tone apart.
Keys C and D are two semitones apart (there is a black key in between). Two semitones is referred to as a TONE.
The black keys are given names relative to the notes on either side. For example the black key between F and G can be called F Sharp (or F#) or G Flat (Gb) because F# is half step above F and half step below G.
Sharp means raising the pitch of a note by one semitone. Similarly Flat means lower the pitch of a note by one semitone.
Since the note names are same for each octave or set, they are identified by the set to which they belong.
For example notes of first set are called C1,D1..B1. Notes of fourth set would be called C4,D4…B4.
The middle C
In western music the expression “Middle C” refers to note C4 or “Do”. It also tends to fall in the middle of the keyboard. Note C4 or middle C is near the top of the male and bottom of female vocal range.
Although C4 is commonly known by the expression “middle C”, the expression is keyboard specific. For a small keyboard which has only 3 sets of keys, the note belonging to very first C from left could be “Middle C”.
Synthesizer keyboards indicate the key corresponding to “Middle C” by
Indicating it as C4. It is not necessary that it is the first key of the fourth set on the keyboard.
Note Frequencies
A440 is the 440 Hz tone that serves as the internationally recognized standard for musical pitch. A440 is the musical note A above middle C (A4). It serves as the audio frequency reference for the calibration of pianos, violins, and other musical instruments
The following table shows the frequencies of various notes of a 88 keys piano.
Each successive pitch is derived by multiplying the previous by the twelfth root of two
Table below gives frequencies of various notes of Piano
The pitch difference between two notes (or keys) is called semi-tone. A semi-tone is 1/12th of an octave. For example keys E and F are one semi tone apart.
Keys C and D are two semitones apart (there is a black key in between). Two semitones is referred to as a TONE.
The black keys are given names relative to the notes on either side. For example the black key between F and G can be called F Sharp (or F#) or G Flat (Gb) because F# is half step above F and half step below G.
Sharp means raising the pitch of a note by one semitone. Similarly Flat means lower the pitch of a note by one semitone.
Since the note names are same for each octave or set, they are identified by the set to which they belong.
For example notes of first set are called C1,D1..B1. Notes of fourth set would be called C4,D4…B4.
The middle C
In western music the expression “Middle C” refers to note C4 or “Do”. It also tends to fall in the middle of the keyboard. Note C4 or middle C is near the top of the male and bottom of female vocal range.
Although C4 is commonly known by the expression “middle C”, the expression is keyboard specific. For a small keyboard which has only 3 sets of keys, the note belonging to very first C from left could be “Middle C”.
Synthesizer keyboards indicate the key corresponding to “Middle C” by
Indicating it as C4. It is not necessary that it is the first key of the fourth set on the keyboard.
Note Frequencies
A440 is the 440 Hz tone that serves as the internationally recognized standard for musical pitch. A440 is the musical note A above middle C (A4). It serves as the audio frequency reference for the calibration of pianos, violins, and other musical instruments
The following table shows the frequencies of various notes of a 88 keys piano.
Each successive pitch is derived by multiplying the previous by the twelfth root of two
Table below gives frequencies of various notes of Piano
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