C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the C major scale.
Designation by octave
| Scientific designation | Helmholtz designation | Octave name | Frequency (Hz) | Other names | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C−1 | C͵͵͵ or ͵͵͵C or CCCC | Octocontra | 8.176 | ⓘ | |
| C0 | C͵͵ or ͵͵C or CCC | Subcontra | 16.352 | ⓘ | |
| C1 | C͵ or ͵C or CC | Contra | 32.703 | ⓘ | |
| C2 | C | Great | 65.406 | Low C, cello C, 8' C (see organ pipe length) | ⓘ |
| C3 | c | Small | 130.813 | 4' C or tenor C (organ), viola C | ⓘ |
| C4 | c′ | One-lined | 261.626 | Middle C | ⓘ |
| C5 | c′′ | Two-lined | 523.251 | Treble C, high C (written an octave higher for tenor voices)[1] | ⓘ |
| C6 | c′′′ | Three-lined | 1046.502 | High C (soprano) | ⓘ |
| C7 | c′′′′ | Four-lined | 2093.005 | Double high C | ⓘ |
| C8 | c′′′′′ | Five-lined | 4186.009 | Eighth octave C, triple high C | ⓘ |
| C9 | c′′′′′′ | Six-lined | 8372.018 | Quadruple high C | ⓘ |
| C10 | c′′′′′′′ | Seven-lined | 16744.036 | Quintuple high C | ⓘ |
Middle C
Middle C is the musical note C that is in the middle of the piano keyboard. It is not perfectly in the middle of the keyboard, but very nearly. When you compare all the Cs in the piano, it is the one nearest to the middle.
When writing Middle C in music notation, it is below the stave when using the treble clef and just above the stave when using the bass clef. This is shown in the first and last notes of the musical example below. The Middle C sits on a ledger line (an extension of the stave written just for one note).
References
- ↑ "The Note That Makes Us Weep" by Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times, September 9, 2007