7 Names of Notes: A B C & Do Re Mi Explained and Compared
Understanding the names of notes is a fundamental step in music theory. Depending on the country, there are two main systems for naming the seven musical notes: the alphabetical system (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and the syllabic system (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si).
Each system has a variant: H instead of B, and Ti instead of Si.
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Name of Notes: 7 Notes of Music and Two Systems to Name Them
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.
G Clef (Treble Clef): 17 music notes in Alphabetical notation: 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.
Although Boethius is credited as the first writer to introduce this terminology into literature, Ptolemy had already mentioned it five centuries earlier when referring to the two-octave scale, which he called a perfect or complete musical system, unlike other more restricted scales.
Easily and quickly learn to read the notes A B C D E F G one by one with Happy Note videos, with the help of sound and color. Depending on your musical instrument or voice, choose the treble clef (high) or the bass clef (low).
Learn the names of musical notes A B C D E F G with sound and color – a beginner video by Happy Note
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.
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.
G Clef (Treble Clef): 17 music notes in Syllabic notation: DO RE MI FA SOL LA SI.
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 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.
Using a step-by-step approach, learn to read the Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si notes easily and quickly with Happy Note! 4K videos. Choose the treble clef or the bass clef and master note reading with the help of sound and colored notes.
Learn the names of musical notes Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si one by one with sound and color
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”.
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…”
Happy Note! also offers 4K videos with TI instead of SI. Gradually learn to read music notes in the treble clef and in the bass clef, with the help of sound and colored notes.
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, 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.
For example, do 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.
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).
