View source for C (musical note)

{{Short description|Note in western music}}
{{Redirect|High C|the fruit-flavored drink|Hi-C}}
{{stack|<score>{ \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \magnifyStaff #3/2 } { \time 2/1 c'1^"c′" \clef bass c^"c" } }</score>}}
'''C''' or '''Do''' is the first [[musical note|note]] of the [[C major]] [[scale (music)|scale]], the third note of the [[A minor]] scale (the [[Relative key|relative minor]] of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the [[Guidonian hand]], commonly [[Pitch (music)|pitched]] around 261.63&nbsp;[[Hertz|Hz]]. The actual [[frequency]] has depended on historical [[concert pitch#History of pitch standards in Western music|pitch standard]]s, and for [[transposing instrument]]s a distinction is made between written and sounding or [[concert pitch]]. It has [[enharmonic]] equivalents of '''B{{music|sharp}}''' and '''D{{music|bb}}'''.

In English the term ''Do'' is used interchangeably with C only in the context of [[Solfège#Fixed do solfège|fixed Do solfège]]; in the [[Solfège#Movable do solfège|movable Do]] system Do refers to the [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] of the prevailing [[key (music)|key]].

==Frequency==
Historically, [[concert pitch]] has varied. For an instrument in [[equal temperament]] tuned to the [[A440 (pitch standard)|A440 pitch standard]] widely adopted in 1939, middle C has a frequency around 261.63&nbsp;Hz<ref>{{cite web|last=Suits|first=B. H.|title=Physics of Music Notes - Scales: Just vs Equal Temperament|url=https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/scales.html|website=MTU.edu|publisher=Michigan Technological University|date=1998|access-date=5 February 2024|archive-date=27 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127155251/https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/scales.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> (for other notes see [[piano key frequencies]]). [[Scientific pitch]] was originally proposed in 1713 by French physicist [[Joseph Sauveur]] and based on the numerically convenient frequency of 256&nbsp;Hz for middle C, all C's being [[power of two|powers of two]]. After the A440 pitch standard was adopted by musicians, the [[Acoustical Society of America]] published new frequency tables for scientific use. A movement to restore the older A435 standard has used the banners "Verdi tuning", "philosophical pitch" or the easily confused [[scientific pitch]].

==Octave nomenclature==
===Middle C===
{{redirect|Middle C|the novel|Middle C (novel){{!}}''Middle C'' (novel)}}
{{image frame|caption=Middle C centrally set on a grand staff|content=<div style="margin:2px 8px 8px 4px;"><score>
\new GrandStaff <<
 \time 5/4
 \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \magnifyStaff 1.5 } { s4 c'1 }
 \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \magnifyStaff 1.5 \clef bass } { s4 s1 } >>
</score></div>}}
Middle&nbsp;C (the fourth C key from left on a standard 88-key [[piano]] keyboard) is designated C<sub>4</sub> in [[scientific pitch notation]], c{{prime}} in [[Helmholtz pitch notation]], and note number 60 in the [[MIDI]] standard.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/Complete_MIDI_1.0_Detailed_Specification_96-1-3 |title=Complete MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification |year=1996 |pages=10}}</ref>

While the expression ''middle&nbsp;C'' is generally clear across instruments and clefs, some musicians naturally use the term to refer to the C note in the middle of their specific instrument's range. C<sub>4</sub> (approximately 261.626&nbsp;Hz<ref><math>\frac{440}{2^{\!^\tfrac{9}{12}}}</math></ref>) may be called ''Low&nbsp;C'' by someone playing a [[Western concert flute]], which has a higher and narrower [[playing range]] than the piano, while C<sub>5</sub> (523.251&nbsp;Hz) would be middle&nbsp;C. This practice has led some to encourage standardizing on C<sub>4</sub> as the definitive middle&nbsp;C in instructional materials across all instruments.<ref>{{cite journal
|last=Large
|first= John
|date=February 1981
|title= Theory in Practice: Building a Firm Foundation
|journal= [[Music Educators Journal]]
|volume= 32
|pages= 30–35}}</ref>

On the [[Staff (music)#Grand staff|grand staff]], middle&nbsp;C is notated with a [[ledger line]] above the top line of the [[bass clef|bass staff]] or below the bottom line of the [[treble clef|treble staff]]. Alternatively, it is written on the centre line of a staff using the [[alto clef]], or on the fourth line from the bottom, or the second line from the top, of staves using the [[tenor clef]].

===Other octaves===
In vocal music, the term ''High C'' (sometimes called ''Top C''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/04/archives/music-view-birgit-nilsson-the-return-of-a-supersoprano-music-view.html|title=Birgit Nilsson – The Return of a Super-Soprano|author=Harold C. Schonberg|author-link=Harold C. Schonberg|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 4, 1979}}</ref>) can refer to either the soprano's [[scientific pitch notation|C<sub>6</sub>]] (1046.502&nbsp;Hz; {{prime|c}}{{prime}}{{prime}} in Helmholtz notation) or the tenor's C<sub>5</sub>; soprano written as the C two ledger lines above the treble clef, with the tenor voice the space above concert A, sung an octave lower. Sometimes written with “8v” below the treble, to represent the octave (8 tones in a major scale).

''Tenor C'' is an [[organ builder]]'s term for ''small C'' or C<sub>3</sub> (130.813&nbsp;Hz), the note one [[octave]] below middle C. In older stoplists it usually means that a [[Organ stop|rank]] was not yet full compass, omitting the bottom octave, until that octave was added later on.

==Designation by octave==
{|class="wikitable"
![[Scientific pitch notation|Scientific]] designation
![[Helmholtz pitch notation|Helmholtz]] designation
!Octave name
!Frequency (using [[A440 (pitch standard)|A&nbsp;440]] [[equal temperament]])
![[MIDI]] note  number
!Other names
!Audio
|-
|C<sub>−1</sub> || C͵͵͵ or ͵͵͵C or CCCC || Octocontra||align="right"| {{#expr:440 * 2^((0-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|0|| Quadruple Low C (64&nbsp;ft. organ pipes) ||[[File:C8.18.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>0</sub> || C͵͵ or ͵͵C or CCC || Subcontra ||align="right" | {{#expr:440 * 2^((12-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|12|| Triple Low C (32&nbsp;ft. organ pipes), [[Octobass]] C ||[[File:C16.35.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>1</sub> || C͵ or ͵C or CC || Contra ||align="right" | {{#expr:440 * 2^((24-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|24|| Double Low C (16&nbsp;ft. organ pipes), Double Bass w/ either Low C Extension, 5 Strings, or in 5ths Tuning ||[[File:C32.7.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>2</sub> || C || Great ||align="right" | {{#expr:440 * 2^((36-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|36|| Low C, [[cello]] C, [[eight foot pitch|8{{prime}} C]] (see [[Organ stop#Pitch and length|organ pipe length]]) ||[[File:C65.41.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>3</sub> || c || Small ||align="right" | {{#expr:440 * 2^((48-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|48||4{{prime}} C or Tenor C (organ), [[viola]] C, Tenor Middle C (Tenor Voice) ||[[File:C130.81.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>4</sub> || c{{prime}} || One-lined ||align="right" style="background-color:#ccf"| {{#expr:440 * 2^((60-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz 
|60|| '''Middle C''' for Sopranos, 2&nbsp;ft. organ pipes ||[[File:Middle C.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>5</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}} || Two-lined ||align="right" | {{#expr:440 * 2^((72-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|72|| Treble C, Tenor High C (written an octave higher for [[tenor|tenor voices]]),<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/weekinreview/09wakin.html "The Note That Makes Us Weep"] by Daniel J. Wakin, ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 9, 2007</ref> 1&nbsp;ft. organ pipes ||[[File:Perfect octave on C.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>6</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}} || Three-lined ||align="right" |{{#expr:440 * 2^((84-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|84||High C ([[soprano]])||[[File:Perfect fifteenth on C.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>7</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}} || Four-lined ||align="right" |{{#expr:440 * 2^((96-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|96|| Double high C{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} ||[[File:C2093.01.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>8</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}} || Five-lined ||align="right" |{{#expr:440 * 2^((108-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|108||Eighth octave C, triple high C||[[File:Eighth octave on C.mid|100px]]
|-
|C<sub>9</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}} || Six-lined ||align="right" |{{#expr:440 * 2^((120-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|120|| Quadruple high C ||
|-
|C<sub>10</sub> || c{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}}{{prime}} || Seven-lined ||align="right" |{{#expr:440 * 2^((132-69)/12) round 3}}&nbsp;Hz
|N/A|| Quintuple high C ||
|}

==Graphic presentation==
{{Wide image|Middle C in four clefs.svg|600|Middle C in four [[clef]]s}}
{{Wide image|MiddleC-Keyboard.svg|600|Position of middle C on a standard 88-key [[musical keyboard|keyboard]]}}

==Scales==
===Common scales beginning on C===
* [[C major]]: C D E F G A B C′
* [[C minor|C natural minor]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Minor scale#Harmonic minor scale|harmonic minor]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G A{{music|b}} B C′
* C [[Minor scale#Melodic minor scale|melodic minor]] ascending: C D E{{music|b}} F G A B C′
* C melodic minor descending: C′ B{{music|b}} A{{music|b}} G F E{{music|b}} D C

===[[Diatonic scale]]s===
* C [[Ionian mode|Ionian]]: C D E F G A B C′
* C [[Dorian mode|Dorian]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G A B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Phrygian mode|Phrygian]]: C D{{music|b}} E{{music|b}} F G A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Lydian mode|Lydian]]: C D E F{{music|#}} G A B C′
* C [[Mixolydian mode|Mixolydian]]: C D E F G A B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Aeolian mode|Aeolian]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Locrian mode|Locrian]]: C D{{music|b}} E{{music|b}} F G{{music|b}} A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′

===[[Jazz scale#Modes of the melodic minor scale|Jazz melodic minor]]===
* C [[Jazz minor scale|ascending melodic minor]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G A B C′
* C [[Dorian ♭2 scale|Dorian ♭2]]: C D{{music|b}} E{{music|b}} F G A B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Lydian augmented scale|Lydian augmented]]: C D E F{{music|#}} G{{music|#}} A B C′
* C [[Lydian dominant scale|Lydian dominant]]: C D E F{{music|#}} G A B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Aeolian dominant scale|Mixolydian ♭6]]: C D E F G A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Half diminished scale|Locrian ♮2]]: C D E{{music|b}} F G{{music|b}} A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′
* C [[Altered scale|altered]]: C D{{music|b}} E{{music|b}} F{{music|b}} G{{music|b}} A{{music|b}} B{{music|b}} C′

==See also==
* [[Piano key frequencies]]
* [[A440 (pitch standard)]]
* [[C major]]
* [[C minor]]
* [[Root (chord)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Semitones}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:C (Musical Note)}}
[[Category:Musical notes]]