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These pitches are named using the letters A{|class="wikitable"! Note #| 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13|-G! Frequency in HZ| 110.000 || 116.541|| 123.471|| 130.813|| 138.591|| 146.832|| 155.563|| 164.814|| 174.614|| 184.997|| 195.998|| 207. You may notice that is only 7 letters 652||220.000|-! % higher than last pitch<br /> (freq - the other last)/last * 100| || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5 can be expressed using [[#Sharps and Flats.946 ||sharp or flat]] symbols next to the letter names, covered below5. It is customary to define the "A" note to a specific frequency, with the standard being A = 440 HZ946 || 5. This determines the pitches of the other notes, given that they are all equidistant within an octave946 || 5. Certain compositions may call for aligning the notes to different frequencies (A = 442 HZ); however, this will not change the ''relative'' pitch between notes, which is our primary concern in terms of the art of music946 || 5. Whether a melody is played with A = 440 HZ or A = 442 HZ will have the same emotional impact on the listener946 || 5.946 |}
For instanceThis matches the frets on the fretboard. The 12th fret is the same note as the open string, just an octave higher. Notice the 12th fret is exactly the middle of the string. All the frets between the nut and 12th fret are spaced such that each fret is ~5.946% higher-pitched than the previous fret. These pitches are named using the letters A-G. You may notice that is only 7 letters - the other 5 can be expressed using [[#Sharps and Flats|sharp or flat]] symbols next to some of the letter names, there covered below. It is an customary to define the "A" note at 110 HZ and another "to a specific frequency, with the standard being A" at 220 = 440 HZ. AlsoThis determines the pitches of the other notes, you have "E" at 165 HZ, and given that they are all equidistant within an "E" at 330 HZoctave. The 110-165 HZ Certain compositions may call for aligning the notes to different frequencies (A-E fifth interval is harmonically equivalent to the 220-330 = 442 HZ A-E fifth interval (both contain intervals with 3:2 ratios). Thus; however, this will not change the ''relative''for purely harmonic reasonspitch between notes, absolute frequency which is not important'''. Only our primary concern in terms of the relative frequency art of one note to others is importantmusic. Between 110 Whether a melody is played with A = 440 HZ and 220 or A = 442 HZ, you will have the notes same emotional impact on the listener. {|class="wikitable"! Note #| 1 (A) || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 (A)|-! A, B, C, D, E, F, and G= 440 HZ| 110.000 || 116.541|| 123.471|| 130.813|| 138.591|| 146.832|| 155.563|| 164.814|| 174.614|| 184.997|| 195.998|| 207. Between 652||220 .000|-! A = 442 HZ and 440 HZ, you have A, B, C, D, E, F, and G again| 110.500 || 117.070|| 124.031|| 131.406|| 139.220|| 147.498|| 156.268|| 165.560|| 175.404|| 185.833|| 196.883|| 208.590||221.000|-! % higher than last pitch<br /> (freq - last)/last * 100| || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 || 5.946 |} The 12-tone scale matches the frets on the fretboard. Obviously, even if The 12th fret is the same note names are as the sameopen string, they will sound differently since they relate to different fundamental frequenciesjust an octave higher. However, harmonically, A Notice the 12th fret is A exactly the middle of the string. All the frets between the nut and B 12th fret are spaced such that each fret is B, regardless of which octave it actually belongs to~5.946% higher pitched than the previous fret.
→Notes and Movement
Most Western music is based around a 12-tone selection of notes (or scale) - that is 12 distinct pitches within a frequency range of one octave. The 13th pitch is double the frequency of the first note, starting a new octave. The pitches are equidistant (on a logarithmic scale) from each other, making them "neutral" in and of themselves.
=== Semi-tones and Whole-tones ===
In terms of melody, playing one tone then another is called <u>movement</u> - it is as if the pitch moved rather than being two distinct, unrelated pitches. The proximity between two notes in the 12-tone scale is called the <u>distance</u> between them. The distance between two consecutive notes is called a <u>semi-tone</u> (also called a <u>half-tone</u> or <u>half-step</u>). A <u>whole-tone</u> (also called a <u>whole-step</u>) is the distance of 2 semi-tones.
'''In general, the named notes are 1 whole-step in distance from each other. A is a whole-step from B, C is a whole-step from D, etc. The only two exceptions are B to C and E to F, which are defined as half-steps.'''
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=== The Chromatic Scale ===
The <u>chromatic scale</u> is the ordered set of the 12-tones:
{|
| A | A{{s}} | B | C | C{{s}} | D | D{{s}} | E | F | F{{s}} | G | G{{s}} | A
|-
|colspan="13"| or
|-
| A | B{{b}} | B | C | D{{b}} | D | E{{b}} | E | F | G{{b}} | G | A{{b}} | A
|}
Again, we see whole steps between most of the named notes (jumping the {{s}} and {{b}} notes), except B-C and E-F.
=== Sharps and Flats ===
{{sharp}} or '#' means <u>sharp</u>. {{flat}} or 'b' means <u>flat</u>. These terms indicate the named note is raised or lowered one semi-tone, respectively. Looking back at the chromatic scale above, we now see that either a sharped version of the note below or the flatted version of the note above fills in the gaps between the notes without such symbols. Multiple sharps and flats can be used. For example, A{{flat}}{{flat}} is 2 semi-tones below A. A{{flat}}{{flat}} corresponds to the same frequency as G. Similarly, G{{sharp}} is the same frequency as A{{flat}}, and B{{sharp}} is the same frequency as C. For our purposes, we are unlikely to deal with double (or more) sharps or flats. But it's important to understand what they are to remove some of the mystique from them.
We can even represent the entire 12-tone scale in terms of a single note, using flats and sharps:
| D{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}} || D{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}} || D{{flat}}{{flat}}{{flat}} || D{{flat}}{{flat}} || D{{flat}} ||D ||D{{sharp}} ||D{{sharp}}{{sharp}} ||D{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}} ||D{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}} ||D{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}} ||D{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}{{sharp}}
|}
If there's ever any ambiguity whether a note name means its normal version as in the chromatic scale, or a flatted or sharped version, the {{natural}} symbol can be used to indicate the neither sharped or flatted version. This comes in handy when we are using a key that doesn't have a natural note but we want to play the natural note. For instance, the key of C{{s}} contains (C{{s}} D{{s}} E{{s}} F{{s}} G{{s}} A{{s}} B{{s}}). If I said, "play an A," this might mean play the A{{s}} from the scale, but if I said, "play A{{natural}}", you would know exactly what note to play.
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