Music Notes: Names, Letters and How to Read Them
The seven notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B), their solfège names, sharps and flats, how to read notes on the staff and how long each note value lasts.
By Polarzinho ·
C, D, E, F, G, A, B. I used to hum notes in the shower until I learned you can do a lot more with them: whole songs, chords, a guitar solo and a complaint from the neighbors.
Here you get the note names, the do re mi syllables and where they came from, sharps and flats, how to find notes on the staff and how long each note lasts.
The 7 music notes
- C (do)
- D (re)
- E (mi)
- F (fa)
- G (sol)
- A (la)
- B (ti or si)
After B, the sequence starts again on C, only higher. The distance from one C to the next C is called an octave.
Where do re mi comes from
In the 11th century, the Italian monk Guido of Arezzo used a Latin hymn to Saint John the Baptist to teach singing. Each line started on a higher note, and he took the first syllable of each: ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la.
Later "ut" became "do", which is easier to sing, and "si" came from the initials of Sancte Iohannes. In English-speaking countries, "si" is often sung as "ti".
Letter names and solfège side by side
- C = do
- D = re
- E = mi
- F = fa
- G = sol
- A = la
- B = ti (or si)
Sharps and flats
- Sharp (#): raises a note by a half step. C# sits between C and D.
- Flat (b): lowers a note by a half step. Db is the same sound as C#.
- Natural (♮): cancels a sharp or a flat.
Counting sharps and flats, Western music uses 12 sounds: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B.
Reading notes on the treble staff
The staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces. The treble clef, the most common one, tells you where each note sits.
- Lines, bottom to top: E, G, B, D, F. Remember it as "Every Good Boy Does Fine".
- Spaces, bottom to top: F, A, C, E. They spell FACE.
The higher the note on the staff, the higher the sound.
Note values: how long each note lasts
In 4/4 time, each note is worth:
- Whole note: 4 beats.
- Half note: 2 beats.
- Quarter note: 1 beat.
- Eighth note: half a beat.
- Sixteenth note: a quarter of a beat.
- Thirty-second note: an eighth of a beat.
- Sixty-fourth note: a sixteenth of a beat.
Each note value is half of the one before it.
The C major scale
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. On the piano, it is only the white keys. The steps follow the pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.
Practicing rhythm in Riffvolt
Knowing the note names is half of music. The other half is rhythm, and that is where Riffvolt comes in: a browser rhythm game with four lanes, twelve songs and four difficulties.
PolarzinhoPerfect on the J lane. Just like my guitar playing. Not.
Notes come down the highway and you hit them on time. Keep the streak and the ROCK meter fills; then overdrive kicks in by itself.
FAQ
What are the 7 music notes?
C, D, E, F, G, A and B, or do, re, mi, fa, sol, la and ti.
What note is do?
Do is C in the fixed system used in many countries.
How many music notes are there?
Seven natural notes. With sharps and flats, there are 12 different sounds before the octave repeats.
What is the difference between a sharp and a flat?
A sharp raises a note by a half step; a flat lowers it by a half step.
Your turn
Sing these in solfège: G, E, C, A. Then find them on a keyboard or a piano app.