In music, the term note has two primary meanings: #A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound; #A pitched sound itself.

Notes are the "atoms" of much Western music: discretizations of musical phenomena that facilitate performance, comprehension, and analysis.

The term "note" can be used in both generic and specific senses: one might say either "the piece 'Happy Birthday to You' begins with two notes having the same pitch," or "the piece begins with two repetitions of the same note." In the former case, one uses "note" to refer to a specific musical event; in the latter, one uses the term to refer to a class of events sharing the same pitch.

Note name

Two notes with fundamental frequencies in a ratio of any power of two (e.g. half, twice, or four times) are perceived as very similar. Because of that, all notes with these kinds of relations can be grouped under the same pitch class. In traditional music theory pitch classes are represented by the first seven letters of the Latin alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F and G) (some countries use other names as in the table below). The eighth note, or octave is given the same name as the first, but has double its frequency. The name octave is also used to indicate the span of notes having a frequency ratio of two. To differentiate two notes that have the same pitch class but fall into different octaves, the system of scientific pitch notation combines a letter name with an Arabic numeral designating a specific octave. For example, the now-standard tuning pitch for most Western music, 440 Hz, is named a′ or A4. There are two formal ways to define each note and octave, the Helmholtz system and the Scientific pitch notation.

Accidentals

Letter names are modified by the accidentals. A sharp raises a note by a semitone or half-step, and a flat lowers it by the same amount. In modern tuning a half step has a frequency ratio of $\backslash sqrt[12]\{2\}$, approximately 1.059. The accidentals are written after the note name: so, for example, F represents F-sharp, B is B-flat.

Additional accidentals are the double-sharp , raising the frequency by two semitones, and double-flat , lowering it by that amount.

In musical notation, accidentals are placed before the note symbols. Systematic alterations to the seven lettered pitches in the scale can be indicated by placing the symbols in the key signature, which then apply implicitly to all occurrences of corresponding notes. Explicitly noted accidentals can be used to override this effect for the remainder of a bar. A special accidental, the natural symbol , is used to indicate an unmodified pitch. Effects of key signature and local accidentals do not cumulate. If the key signature indicates G-sharp, a local flat before a G makes it G-flat (not G natural), though often this type of rare accidental is expressed as a natural, followed by a flat () to make this clear. Likewise (and more commonly), a double sharp sign on a key signature with a single sharp indicates only a double sharp, not a triple sharp.

Assuming enharmonicity, many accidentals will create equivalences between pitches that are written differently. For instance, raising the note B to B is equal to the note C. Assuming all such equivalences, the complete chromatic scale adds five additional pitch classes to the original seven lettered notes for a total of 12 (the 13th note completing the octave), each separated by a half-step.

Notes that belong to the diatonic scale relevant in the context are sometimes called ''diatonic notes''; notes that do not meet that criterion are then sometimes called ''chromatic notes''.

Another style of notation, rarely used in English, uses the suffix "is" to indicate a sharp and "es" (only "s" after A and E) for a flat, e.g. Fis for F, Ges for G, Es for E. This system first arose in Germany and is used in almost all European countries whose main language is not English or a Romance language.

In most countries using this system, the letter H is used to represent what is B natural in English, the letter B represents the B, and Heses represents the B (not Bes, which would also have fit into the system). Belgium and the Netherlands use the same suffixes, but applied throughout to the notes A to G, so that B is Bes. Denmark also uses H, but uses bes instead of heses for B.

This is a complete chart of a chromatic scale built on the note C4, or "middle C":

bgcolor="black"> bgcolor="white" bgcolor="black" C sharp D flat C D Cis Des Cis Des Ni diesis (or diez) Pa hyphesis Do diesis Re bemolle Ut ハ Ha Sa 262 60

style="width: 12em"

Style

Type

prime

|

second

third

fourth

fifth

sixth

seventh

English name

Natural

bgcolor="white"

C

|

D

bgcolor="white"

E

F||bgcolor="black" |

bgcolor="white"

G

bgcolor="white"

A

||bgcolor="white" |B

Sharp

|

D sharp

F sharp

G sharp

A sharp

Flat

|

E flat

G flat

A flat

B flat

Symbol

Sharp

|

D

F

G

A

Flat

|

E

G

A

B

Northern European name

Natural

C

|

D

E

F

G

A

H

Sharp

|

Dis

Fis

Gis

Ais

Flat

|

Es

Ges

As

B

Dutch name (sometimes used in Scandinavia after 1990s)

Natural

C

|

D

E

F

G

A

B

Sharp

|

Dis

Fis

Gis

Ais

Flat

|

Es

Ges

As

Bes

Byzantine

Natural

Ni

|

Pa

Vu

Ga

Di

Ke

Zo-

Sharp

|

Pa diesis

Ga diesis

Di diesis

Ke diesis

Flat

|

Vu hyphesis

Di hyphesis

Ke hyphesis

Zo hyphesis

Latin America, Italian, French, Southern & Eastern European

Natural

Do

|

Re

Mi

Fa

Sol

La

Si

Sharp

|

Re diesis

Fa diesis

Sol diesis

La diesis

Flat

|

Mi bemolle

Sol bemolle

La bemolle

Si bemolle

Variant names

|

-

-

-

So

-

Ti

Japanese

|||ニ Ni ||||ホ Ho||

ヘ He

|トTo|||| イ I ||||ロ Ro

Indian style

|

Re Komal

Re

Ga Komal

Ga

Ma

Ma Teevra

Pa

Dha Komal

Dha

Ni Komal

Ni

Approx. Frequency [Hz]

|

277

294

311

330

349

370

392

415

440

466

494

MIDI note number

|

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

Note designation in accordance with octave name

The table of each octave and the frequencies for every note of pitch class A is shown below. The traditional (Helmholtz) system centers on the great octave (with capital letters) and small octave (with lower case letters). Lower octaves are named "contra" (with primes before), higher ones "lined" (with primes after). Another system (scientific) suffixes a number (starting with 0, or sometimes -1). In this system A4 is nowadays standardised to 440 Hz, lying in the octave containing notes from C4 (middle C) to B4. The lowest note on most pianos is A0, the highest C8. The MIDI system for electronic musical instruments and computers uses a straight count starting with note 0 for C-1 at 8.1758 Hz up to note 127 for G9 at 12,544 Hz.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" ! colspan="4" | Octave naming systems || rowspan="2" |frequencyof A (Hz) |- ! traditional || shorthand || numbered || MIDI nr |- | style="text-align: left" | subsubcontra | C͵͵͵ – B͵͵͵ || C-1 – B-1 || 0 – 11 ||13.75 |- | style="text-align: left" | sub-contra | C͵͵ – B͵͵ || C0 – B0 || 12 – 23 ||27.5 |- | style="text-align: left" | contra | C͵ – B͵ || C1 – B1 || 24 – 35 || 55 |- | style="text-align: left" | great | C – B || C2 – B2 || 36 – 47 || 110 |- | style="text-align: left" | small | c – b || C3 – B3 || 48 – 59 || 220 |- | style="text-align: left" | one-lined | c′ – b′ || C4 – B4 || 60 – 71 || 440 |- | style="text-align: left" | two-lined | c′′ – b′′ || C5 – B5 || 72 – 83 || 880 |- | style="text-align: left" | three-lined | c′′′ – b′′′ || C6 – B6 || 84 – 95 || 1760 |- | style="text-align: left" | four-lined | c′′′′ – b′′′′ || C7 – B7 || 96 – 107 || 3520 |- | style="text-align: left" | five-lined | c′′′′′ – b′′′′′ || C8 – B8 || 108 – 119 || 7040 |- | style="text-align: left" | six-lined | c′′′′′′ – b′′′′′′ || C9 – B9 || 120 – 127up to G9 ||14080 |}

Written notes

A written note can also have a note value, a code that determines the note's relative duration. In order of halving duration, we have: double note (breve); whole note (semibreve); half note (minim); quarter note (crotchet); eighth note (quaver); sixteenth note (semiquaver). Smaller still are the thirty-second note (demisemiquaver), sixty-fourth note (hemidemisemiquaver), and hundred twenty-eighth note (semihemidemisemiquaver).

When notes are written out in a score, each note is assigned a specific vertical position on a staff position (a line or a space) on the staff, as determined by the clef. Each line or space is assigned a note name. These names are memorized by musicians and allow them to know at a glance the proper pitch to play on their instruments for each note-head marked on the page.

The staff above shows the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and then in reverse order, with no key signature or accidentals.

Note frequency (hertz)

In all technicality, ''music'' can be composed of notes at any arbitrary frequency. Since the physical causes of music are vibrations of mechanical systems, they are often measured in hertz (Hz), with 1 Hz = 1 complete vibration per second. For historical and other reasons, especially in Western music, only twelve notes of fixed frequencies are used. These fixed frequencies are mathematically related to each other, and are defined around the central note, ''A4''. The current "standard pitch" or modern "concert pitch" for this note is 440 Hz, although this varies in actual practice (see History of pitch standards).

The note-naming convention specifies a letter, any accidentals (sharps/flats), and an octave number. Any note is an integer of half-steps away from middle A (A4). Let this distance be denoted ''n''. If the note is above A4, then ''n'' is positive; if it is below A4, then ''n'' is negative. The frequency of the note (''f'') (assuming equal temperament) is then: :$f\; =\; 2^\{n/12\}\; \backslash times\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}\backslash ,$

For example, one can find the frequency of C5, the first C above A4. There are 3 half-steps between A4 and C5 (A4 → A4 → B4 → C5), and the note is above A4, so ''n'' = +3. The note's frequency is:

:$f\; =\; 2^\{3/12\}\; \backslash times\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}\; \backslash approx\; 523.2\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}$

To find the frequency of a note below A4, the value of ''n'' is negative. For example, the F below A4 is F4. There are 4 half-steps (A4 → A4 → G4 → G4 → F4), and the note is below A4, so ''n'' = −4. The note's frequency is:

:$f\; =\; 2^\{-4/12\}\; \backslash times\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}\; \backslash approx\; 349.2\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}$

Finally, it can be seen from this formula that octaves automatically yield factors of two times the original frequency, since ''n'' is therefore a multiple of 12 (12''k'', where ''k'' is the number of octaves up or down), and so the formula reduces to:

:$f\; =\; 2^\{12k/12\}\; \backslash times\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}\; =\; 2^k\; \backslash times\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}$

yielding a factor of 2. In fact, this is the means by which this formula is derived, combined with the notion of equally-spaced intervals.

The distance of an equally tempered semitone is divided into 100 cents. So 1200 cents are equal to one octave — a frequency ratio of 2:1. This means that a cent is precisely equal to the 1200th root of 2, which is approximately 1.000578.

For use with the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard, a frequency mapping is defined by:

:$p\; =\; 69\; +\; 12\; \backslash times\; log\_2\{f\; \backslash over\; 440\; \backslash ,\backslash mbox\; \{Hz\}\}$

For notes in an A440 equal temperament, this formula delivers the standard MIDI note number. Any other frequencies fill the space between the whole numbers evenly. This allows MIDI instruments to be tuned very accurately in any microtuning scale, including non-western traditional tunings.

History of note names

Music notation systems have used letters of the alphabet for centuries. The 6th century philosopher Boethius is known to have used the first fifteen letters of the alphabet to signify the notes of the two-octave range that was in use at the time. Though it is not known whether this was his devising or common usage at the time, this is nonetheless called Boethian notation.

Following this, the system of repeating letters A-G in each octave was introduced, these being written as minuscules for the second octave (a-g) and double minuscules for the third (aa-gg). When the compass of used notes was extended down by one note, to a G, it was given the Greek G (Γ), gamma. (It is from this that the French word for scale, ''gamme'' is derived, and the English word gamut, from "Gamma-Ut", the lowest note in Medieval music notation.)

The remaining five notes of the chromatic scale (the black keys on a piano keyboard) were added gradually; the first being B, which was flattened in certain modes to avoid the dissonant tritone interval. This change was not always shown in notation, but when written, B (B-flat) was written as a Latin, round "b", and B (B-natural) a Gothic or "hard-edged" b. These evolved into the modern flat and natural symbols respectively. The sharp symbol arose from a barred b, called the "cancelled b".

In parts of Europe, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Finland, and Russia, the natural symbol transformed into the letter H (possibly for ''hart'', German for ''hard''): in German music notation, H is B (B-natural) and B is B (B-flat). Occasionally, music written in German for international use will use H for B-natural and B^b for B-flat (with a modern-script lowercase b instead of a flat sign). Since a Bes or B in Northern Europe (i.e. a B elsewhere) is both rare and unorthodox (more likely to be expressed as Heses), it is generally clear what this notation means.

In Italian, Portuguese, Greek, French, Russian, Flemish, Romanian, Spanish, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Bulgarian and Turkish notation the notes of scales are given in terms of Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si rather than C-D-E-F-G-A-B. These names follow the original names reputedly given by Guido d'Arezzo, who had taken them from the first syllables of the first six musical phrases of a Gregorian Chant melody ''Ut queant laxis'', which began on the appropriate scale degrees. These became the basis of the solfege system. "Do" later replaced the original "Ut" for ease of singing (most likely from the beginning of ''Dominus'', Lord), though "Ut" is still used in some places. "Si" or "Ti" was added as the seventh degree (from ''Sancte Johannes'', St. John, to whom the hymn is dedicated). The use of 'Si' versus 'Ti' varies regionally.

In a newly developed system, primarily in use in the United States, notes of scales become independent to the music notation. In this system the natural symbols C-D-E-F-G-A-B refer to the absolute notes, while the names Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti are relativized and show only the relationship between pitches, where Do is the name of the base pitch of the scale, Re is the name of the second pitch, etc. The idea of so called movable-do, originally suggested by John Curwen in the 19th century, was fully developed and involved into a whole educational system by Zoltán Kodály in the middle of the 20th century, which system is known as the Kodály Method or Kodály Concept.

See also

Mathematics of musical scales

Diatonic and chromatic

Ghost note

Grace note

Money note

Musical temperament

Note value

Pensato

Piano key frequencies

Solfege

Universal key

References

Bibliography

Nattiez, Jean-Jacques (1990). ''Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music'' (''Musicologie générale et sémiologue'', 1987). Translated by Carolyn Abbate (1990). ISBN 0-691-02714-5.

External links

Converter: Frequencies to note name, +/- cents

Note names, keyboard positions, frequencies and MIDI numbers

Music notation systems − Frequencies of equal temperament tuning - The English and American system versus the German system

Frequencies of musical notes

Category:Musical notation

be-x-old:Нота bs:Nota br:Notenn sonerezh bg:Ноти ca:Nota cs:Nota da:Node de:Note (Musik) et:Noot (muusika) el:Νότα es:Nota (sonido) eo:Muziknoto eu:Musika nota fa:نت fr:Note de musique gl:Nota musical ko:음표 hr:Note io:Noto is:Nóta (tónlist) it:Nota musicale he:תו (מוזיקה) la:Tonus lt:Nata hu:Zenei hang nah:Cuīcatlahtōl nl:Muzieknoot ja:音符 no:Note nn:Note pl:Nuta pt:Nota ro:Notă muzicală ru:Нотная запись scn:Nota simple:Note (music) sk:Nota sl:Nota sr:Note fi:Nuotti th:โน้ตดนตรี tr:Nota (müzik) uk:Ноти zh-yue:音符 bat-smg:Dainažīmė zh:音符

name	Daryle Singletary
background	solo_singer
birth name	Daryle Bruce Singletary
born	March 10, 1971
origin	Cairo, Georgia, USA
instrument	Vocals Guitar
genre	Country
occupation	Singer
years active	1994-present
associated acts	Randy TravisDavid Malloy
label	Giant AudiumShanachieE1 Music }}

Daryle Bruce Singletary (born March 10, 1971) is an American country music singer. Between 1995 and 1998, he recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums: ''Daryle Singletary'' in 1995, ''All Because of You'' in 1996 and ''Ain't It the Truth'' in 1998. In the same timespan, Singletary entered the top 40 of the Hot Country Songs charts five times, reaching number two with "I Let Her Lie" and "Amen Kind of Love", and number four with "Too Much Fun".

In 2000, Singletary switched to Audium Entertainment (a division of Koch Entertainment), where he released the albums ''Now and Again'' (2000) and ''That's Why I Sing This Way'' (2002), both of which were largely composed of cover songs. A third album of covers, 2007's ''Straight from the Heart'', was issued on the independent Shanachie Records label. He returned to Koch (now renamed E1 Music) in 2010, to release ''Rockin' in the Country''.

Early life

Daryle Singletary was born March 10, 1971 in Cairo, Georgia. He is the son of a postal worker and his mom a hair dresser . At an early age, he sang gospel music with his cousins and brother. Later on, in high school, he began taking vocal classes as well. By the early 1990s, he had moved to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a record deal.

In Nashville, he found work singing during open-mic nights at various venues, before finding work as a demo singer. One of the demos that Singletary sang was a song entitled "An Old Pair of Shoes", which Randy Travis eventually recorded. Travis recommended Singletary to his management team, who helped him sign to a recording contract with Giant Records.

1995-1996: ''Self-titled album''

Singletary's self-titled debut album was released in 1995. The lead-off single, "I'm Living Up to Her Low Expectations", spent one week in the Top 40 on the ''Billboard'' country charts, peaking at #39. It was followed by his biggest hit, the #2 "I Let Her Lie". This album also produced the #4 "Too Much Fun" and finally "Working It Out" at #50. Despite the two Top Five hits it produced, the album sold poorly and reached #44 on Top Country Albums. The album was produced by David Malloy, James Stroud and Randy Travis.

1996-1997: ''All Because of You''

A second album for Giant, ''All Because of You'', was released in 1996. Although its lead-off single "Amen Kind of Love" became his second #2 hit that year, the album's other two tracks — "The Used to Be's" and "Even the Wind" — both fell short of Top 40.

1998-1999: ''Ain't It the Truth''

''Ain't It the Truth'', his third and final album for Giant, produced a minor hit in "The Note", which peaked at #28 on the country charts and #90 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite this song's minor crossover success, however, this album also saw its second and third singles miss the Top 40, and Singletary was dropped from Giant's roster.

2000-2001: ''Now and Again''

In 2000, Singletary signed to Audium/Koch Entertainment to release his fourth album, 2000's ''Now and Again''. This album's lead-off single was a cover of Savage Garden's 1999 pop single "I Knew I Loved You". Following it were "I've Thought of Everything" at #70, and the album's title track, which failed to chart.

2002-2003: ''That's Why I Sing This Way''

His second album for Audium/Koch, ''That's Why I Sing This Way'', was mostly a cover album save for the title track. Both "That's Why I Sing This Way" and a cover of Conway Twitty's "I'd Love to Lay You Down" were released from this album, respectively reaching #47 and #43.

2003-present: Later years

After Audium/Koch closed its country division, Singletary signed to Shanachie Records. His first project for the label was a second album, 2007's ''Straight from the Heart'', which was also largely composed of cover songs. Its singles, "I Still Sing This Way" and "Jesus & Bartenders", both failed to chart.

In 2009, Singletary returned to Koch under the label's new name of E1 Music. He released his next single, "Love You With the Lights On" in February. The single was the lead-off single to a new album, ''Rockin' in the Country'', released in June 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
! scope="row"		* Release date: May 23, 1995	Giant Records (Warner Bros. subsidiary label)>Giant Nashville	* Formats:		* Release date: October 8, 1996	* Label: Giant Nashville	* Formats: CD, cassette	60	—	—
''[[Ain't It the Truth">Compact disc	44	—	27
! scope="row"		* Release date: October 8, 1996	* Label: Giant Nashville	* Formats: CD, cassette	60	—	—
''[[Ain't It the Truth''		* Release date: February 24, 1998	* Label: Giant Nashville	* Formats: CD, cassette	18	160	7
! scope="row"		* Release date: June 11, 2000	* Label: Audium/Koch Records	* Formats: CD, cassette	—	—	—
''That's Why I Sing This Way''		* Release date: April 23, 2002	* Label: Audium/Koch Records	* Formats: CD	65	—	—
! scope="row"		* Release date: February 27, 2007	* Label: Shanachie Records	* Formats: CD, music download	74	—	—
''Rockin' in the Country''		* Release date: June 9, 2009	* Label: E1 Music	* Formats: CD, music download	—	—	—

1990s singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions			Album
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
	"I'm Living Up to Her Low Expectations"	39	—	35
"I Let Her Lie"	2	—	2
"Too Much Fun"	4	—	10
	"Workin' It Out"	50	—	56
"Amen Kind of Love"	2	—	2
	"The Used to Be's"	48	—	85
"Even the Wind"	68	—	—
	"The Note"	28	90	70
"That's Where You're Wrong"	49	—	—
"My Baby's Lovin'"	44	—	88

2000s singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="60"
	"I Knew I Loved You"	55
"I've Thought of Everything"	70
2001	"Now and Again"	—
	"That's Why I Sing This Way"	47
"I'd Love to Lay You Down"	43
	"I Still Sing This Way"	—
"Jesus & Bartenders"	—
2009	"Love You With the Lights On"	—

Music videos

! Year	Video	! Director
	"I'm Living Up to Her Low Expectations"	Planet Pictures/Scene Three
"I Let Her Lie"
"Too Much Fun"
	"Workin' It Out"
"Amen Kind of Love"
	"The Used to Be's"	Marc Ball
"The Note"	Jim Hershleder
2000	"I Knew I Loved You"

References

External links

DaryleSingletary.net

Category:1971 births Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Living people Category:E1 Music artists Category:Giant Records (Warner) artists Category:People from Grady County, Georgia