There are 7 music notes: depending of the country their name is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, (alphabetical system) or Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si.
Each system has a variant: H instead of B, and Ti instead of Si.
This Video Is a Game — Play to Learn How to Read Notes!
Also available: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si/Ti and A H C (German system)
Name of Music Notes: Two Systems and Two Variants
While both systems represent the same seven pitches, they evolved from different traditions and are now used in distinct parts of the world.
Below, we’ll dive into each system’s history and use, starting with the alphabetical notation.
The Alphabetical Musical Notation: A B C D E F G
The notation system for Anglo-Saxon countries (and therefore also in jazz) uses letters of the alphabet to designate each musical note: A – (B) – C – D – E – F – G.
This naming system dates back to antiquity, with origins that far predate the syllabic notation introduced by Guido d’Arezzo. The Roman senator and philosopher Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, or more simply Boethius, born around 480, is known to have assigned the first fourteen letters of the classical Latin alphabet to the name of notes for the two-octave scale used during his time.
Sound and Colored Notes — Start or Improve Your Music Reading!
Andante — Moderato — Bass Clef — Do Re Mi... Si/Ti — All Videos
Names of Notes in the German Alphabetical Notation: A H C D E F G
The names of musical notes in German notation differ from the English system in two ways: the natural B (SI) or B♮ (natural) uses the letter H instead of the letter B, which is used for B♭ (flat).
The substitution of “B” with “H” in German notation for the note B is the result of a complex process of phonetic and historical evolution that spanned several centuries.
Learn To Read Treble Clef Notes Using German Notation (A-H-C-D-E-F-G).
Adagio — Moderato — A B C — Do Re Mi… Si/Ti — All Videos
Johann Sebastian Bach liked to include at the end of his scores the notes “si♭-la-do-si♮“, which correspond in German notation to “B-A-C-H“.
Several composers subsequently wrote musical works using these four notes. In Franz Liszt’s Präludium und Fuge über den Namen BACH, the notes “si♭-la-do-si♮” played by the organ’s pedalboard are repeated several times during the introduction of the prelude.
The Syllabic Musical Notation: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si
The origin of the syllabic name of the music notes is attributed to the Italian monk Guido d’Arezzo, who in the 11th century used the first syllables of a Latin hymn from the vespers liturgy of the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, “Ut queant laxis,” to name each music note:
Ut queant laxis
resonare fibris
Mira gestorum
famuli tuorum,
Solve polluti
labii reatum,
Sancte Iohannes.
This yields, for the first six verses: UT – RE – MI – FA – SOL – LA.
It was only at the end of the 16th century that the note SI, using the initials of the last verse, was added.
Furthermore, the musical note Ut, the only one to begin with a vowel, was partially replaced by Do in the 17th century. The change was motivated by the fact that Do is easier to pronounce and more fluid when reading the names of notes aloud, especially in sung contexts.
Why the Music Name of the Note ‘Ut’ Changed to ‘Do’
This substitution is generally attributed to the Italian musicologist Giovanni Battista Doni (1593–1647). He found Ut vocally awkward due to its closed sound and proposed Do as a more open, melodious alternative.
The syllable Do may have been inspired by the Latin word Dominus (“Lord”), though some believe it was also a subtle nod to Doni’s own name.
Over time, Do gradually replaced Ut in most solfège systems and became the standard. However, Ut is still occasionally found in historical or theoretical contexts, particularly in French music education.
TI and Hollywood
In English-speaking countries during the nineteenth century, Sarah Glover, an English music educator, modified the solmization syllables. She changed “Si” to “Ti” in the Norwich sol-fa system to ensure that each syllable began with a unique letter. Additionally, she reserved “Si” for potential future use as “Sol-sharp”.
The note Ti is utilized in tonic sol-fa and in the famed American show tune “Do-Re-Mi“ from the 1965 Hollywood movie, The Sound of Music. The song famously uses it in the lyric: “Ti, a drink with jam and bread…”
Music Notation and Countries
- A (B) C D E F G: This is the system most common in English-speaking countries like the United States, UK, Canada, and Australia, as well as in countries like the Netherlands.
- A (H) C D E F G: This system is very similar to the first one, but with a key difference! It’s primarily used in Germany, Scandinavia (like Sweden, Norway, Denmark), Poland, and some other Central and Eastern European countries.
- Do Re Mi Fa Sol La (Si): It’s widely used in Romance language countries (France, Italy — notably Venice, located near the Pomposa Abbey where Guido d’Arezzo lived and developed his musical system — Spain, Portugal, Romania), Latin America, and many other parts of the world.
- Do Re Mi Fa Sol La (Ti): In contrast, English-speaking countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada often use this variant in their solfege system.
Note Names Correspondence Chart
| Syllabic | Alphabetical | German |
|---|---|---|
| Do | C | C |
| Re | D | D |
| Mi | E | E |
| Fa | F | F |
| Sol | G | G |
| La | A | A |
| Si/Ti | B | H |
Musical Symbols Related to the Name of Notes
Follow the links to learn more about altered notes, staff, clefs, values, and rests.
Names of Altered Notes
In addition to natural music notes, there are also notes modified by accidentals — sharps (#) and flats (♭) — which raise or lower the pitch by a semitone.
For example, does D and D-sharp share the same name? Some consider that the note keeps its base name (D), with the accidental added, while others view these altered forms as entirely separate names.
Each of the seven notes can be altered with either a sharp or a flat.
Staff and Clef
The name and pitch of each musical note is determined by its position on the staff…
…and by the clef placed at the beginning of the staff:
The Treble Clef (G Clef)
The Bass Clef (F Clef)
The C clef (alto clef, tenor clef)
The Shape of Each Music Note indicates its Value (Duration)
There are 7 music note values and 7 musical rests: the whole note (British: semibreve), the half note (minim), the quarter note (crotchet), the eighth note (quaver), the sixteenth note (semiquaver), the thirty-second note (demisemiquaver), and the sixty-fourth note (hemidemisemiquaver).