English (Letter Name) Notation
What Is English (Letter Name) Notation?
English letter name notation uses the first seven letters of the alphabet — A, B, C, D, E, F, G — to represent the seven natural pitches of the diatonic scale. Accidentals are indicated with sharp (♯) and flat (♭) symbols placed after the letter. This system is the global standard for popular music, jazz, and most English-language music education.
The standard variant uses a mix of sharps and flats that reflects the most common enharmonic spellings: C♯ rather than D♭, E♭ rather than D♯, and so on. The sharp-only and flat-only variants display all twelve chromatic pitches using exclusively sharps or exclusively flats, which is useful when working in keys that favor one accidental type.
Letter name notation is the foundation for chord symbols (Cmaj7, Dm, G7), key signatures ("the key of B♭ major"), and the vast majority of Western sheet music. When musicians worldwide discuss pitch by name, they most often use this system.
Note Names
English
| Degree | English | 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 | B | B |
English (♯)
| Degree | English (♯) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | C | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | C♯ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | D | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | D♯ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | E | E |
| 4 | F | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | F♯ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | G | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | G♯ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | A | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | A♯ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | B | B |
English (♭)
| Degree | English (♭) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | C | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | D♭ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | D | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | E♭ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | E | E |
| 4 | F | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | G♭ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | G | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | A♭ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | A | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | B♭ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | B | B |
Where It's Used
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and most English-speaking countries
- Popular music, rock, jazz, and contemporary genres worldwide
- Guitar tablature, lead sheets, and chord charts
- Music production software (DAWs) and MIDI editors
- International scientific and acoustic contexts (e.g., A4 = 440 Hz)
History & Origin
The letter name system has roots in ancient Greece, where pitches were labeled with letters of the Greek alphabet. By the early medieval period, European monks adopted the Latin letters A through G to notate plainchant melodies. The English scholar Odo of Cluny (c. 878–942) is often credited with formalizing the A–G naming convention that persists today. Sharps and flats evolved gradually: the ♯ symbol derived from a modified letter 'b' with a square shape ("b quadratum"), while the ♭ came from a rounded 'b' ("b rotundum"). By the Renaissance, the modern accidental system was firmly established, and English-speaking countries carried it forward as their primary notation method.
How It Compares
The same twelve chromatic pitches in English (Letter Name) Notation vs other notation systems:
| English | English | French (♯) | Northern European (-is) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Ut | C |
| C♯/D♭ | C♯ | Ut♯ | Cis |
| D | D | Re | D |
| D♯/E♭ | E♭ | Re♯ | Dis |
| E | E | Mi | E |
| F | F | Fa | F |
| F♯/G♭ | F♯ | Fa♯ | Fis |
| G | G | Sol | G |
| G♯/A♭ | A♭ | Sol♯ | Gis |
| A | A | La | A |
| A♯/B♭ | B♭ | La♯ | Ais |
| B | B | Si | H |
Using English (Letter Name) Notation in Tunable
Tunable supports English (Letter Name) Notation alongside 14 other notation systems. Switch notation in Settings → Tuner → Notation to display all note names, scale degrees, and chord roots in English (Letter Name) Notation throughout the app.
FAQ
Why does Western music only use the letters A through G?
The seven letters correspond to the seven distinct pitches of the diatonic scale — the most fundamental scale in Western music. The remaining five chromatic pitches are represented by adding sharp or flat accidentals to these base letters, giving all twelve pitches unique names.
What is the difference between English notation and German notation?
English notation uses the letter B for the note a half step below C. German notation uses H for that pitch and reserves B for B♭. German notation also uses suffixes like -is (sharp) and -es (flat) instead of the ♯ and ♭ symbols.
Why does the musical alphabet start on C rather than A?
The C major scale contains no sharps or flats, making it the simplest starting point for teaching. Historically, the letter A was assigned to the lowest note in the medieval gamut. When the major scale became central to Western theory, C naturally became the most prominent starting note.