Northern European (German) Notation
What Is Northern European (German) Notation?
Northern European (German) notation shares the letter-based system of English notation but with one critical difference: the note that English speakers call B (the pitch a half step below C) is called H in German notation, while the letter B is reserved for B♭. This H/B distinction is the defining feature of the German system and has a rich historical origin in medieval manuscript copying.
Sharps and flats are expressed using suffixes rather than symbols. A sharp is indicated by adding "-is" to the note name (C→Cis, D→Dis, F→Fis), while a flat is indicated by adding "-es" (D→Des, G→Ges, A→As). There are some irregular forms: E♭ is "Es" (not "Ees"), A♭ is "As" (not "Aes"), and the note we call B♭ in English is simply "B" in German.
The standard variant uses familiar ♯ and ♭ symbols but retains H for B-natural, offering a middle ground between the suffix system and international accidental symbols. This notation system is standard in Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and much of Central and Eastern Europe.
Note Names
Northern European (-is)
| Degree | Northern European (-is) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | C | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Cis | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | D | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Dis | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | E | E |
| 4 | F | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Fis | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | G | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | Gis | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | A | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | Ais | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | H | B |
Northern European (-es)
| Degree | Northern European (-es) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | C | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Des | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | D | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Es | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | E | E |
| 4 | F | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Ges | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | G | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | As | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | A | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | B | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | H | B |
Northern European
| Degree | Northern European | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | C | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | C♯ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | D | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | E♭ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | E | E |
| 4 | F | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | F♯ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | G | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | A♭ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | A | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | B | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | H | B |
Where It's Used
- Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
- Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland)
- Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic states
- Classical music education and conservatory programs in Central Europe
- Academic music theory and musicological publications in German-speaking countries
History & Origin
The H/B distinction traces back to medieval manuscript copying in the 10th–11th centuries. Scribes used two forms of the letter 'b' to distinguish between the natural and flatted versions of the seventh scale degree: a square-shaped 'b' ("b quadratum" or "b durum") for the natural, and a rounded 'b' ("b rotundum" or "b molle") for the flat. Over time, the square 'b' evolved into the letter H in Germanic manuscript tradition, while the rounded 'b' retained the letter B for the flat pitch. The -is/-es suffix system for accidentals developed in parallel, providing a purely verbal way to express sharps and flats without needing graphic symbols — particularly useful in spoken and written music theory discourse. This system was codified during the Baroque era and remains the standard in German-language music education today.
How It Compares
The same twelve chromatic pitches in Northern European (German) Notation vs other notation systems:
| English | Northern European (-is) | English | French (♯) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | C | Ut |
| C♯/D♭ | Cis | C♯ | Ut♯ |
| D | D | D | Re |
| D♯/E♭ | Dis | E♭ | Re♯ |
| E | E | E | Mi |
| F | F | F | Fa |
| F♯/G♭ | Fis | F♯ | Fa♯ |
| G | G | G | Sol |
| G♯/A♭ | Gis | A♭ | Sol♯ |
| A | A | A | La |
| A♯/B♭ | Ais | B♭ | La♯ |
| B | H | B | Si |
Using Northern European (German) Notation in Tunable
Tunable supports Northern European (German) Notation alongside 14 other notation systems. Switch notation in Settings → Tuner → Notation to display all note names, scale degrees, and chord roots in Northern European (German) Notation throughout the app.
FAQ
Why does German notation use H instead of B?
It comes from medieval manuscript tradition. The note we call B-natural was written with a square-shaped 'b' (b quadratum) that evolved into the letter H in Germanic regions, while the rounded 'b' (b rotundum) for B♭ kept the letter B.
What does B-A-C-H spell in music?
In German notation, B = B♭, A = A, C = C, and H = B-natural. This four-note motif (B♭–A–C–B♮) has been used by many composers as a musical signature, most famously by J.S. Bach himself in The Art of Fugue, and later by Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakov, Schumann, and many others.
Which countries use German notation?
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland), and most of Central and Eastern Europe including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic states.