B (B-flat) is the eleventh step of the Western
chromatic scale (starting from
C).
It lies a
diatonic semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically.
It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...
above
A and a
chromatic semitone
In modern Western tonal music theory an augmented unison or augmented prime is the interval between two notes on the same staff position, or denoted by the same note letter, whose alterations cause them, in ordinary equal temperament, to be o ...
below B, thus being
enharmonic
In modern musical notation and tuning, an enharmonic equivalent is a note, interval, or key signature that is equivalent to some other note, interval, or key signature but "spelled", or named differently. The enharmonic spelling of a written ...
to
A, even though in some
musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:
* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.
* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.
Tuning practice
Tuni ...
s, B will have a different sounding pitch than A. B-flat is also enharmonic to C (C-double flat).
When calculated in
equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament or tuning system, which approximates just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into equal steps. This means the ratio of the frequencies of any adjacent pair of notes is the same, ...
with a reference of
A above
middle C
C or Do is the first note and semitone of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz. The actual fre ...
as 440
Hz, the
frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as ''temporal frequency'' for clarity, and is distinct from '' angular frequency''. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is ...
of the B above middle C is approximately 466.164 Hz. See
pitch (music)
Pitch is a perceptual property of sounds that allows their ordering on a frequency-related scale,
or more commonly, pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodi ...
for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.
While
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
s tune to an A provided by the
oboist
An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette.
The following is a list of notable past a ...
,
wind ensembles usually tune to a B-flat provided by a
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th&n ...
,
horn, or
clarinet.
In Germany, Russia, Poland and Scandinavia, this pitch is designated B, with 'H' used to designate the B-
natural
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
. Since the 1990s, B-flat is often denoted Bb or "Bess" instead of B in Swedish music textbooks. Natural B is called B by Swedish jazz and pop musicians, but still denoted H in classical music. See
B (musical note)
B, also known as Si, Ti, or, in some European countries, H, is the seventh note and the twelfth semitone of the fixed-Do solfège. Its enharmonic equivalents are C (C-flat) and A (A-double sharp).
When calculated in equal temperament with a r ...
and
Musical note#Note names and their history for explanations.
Designation by octave
Scales
Common scales beginning on B
*
B-flat major: B C D E F G A B
*
B-flat natural minor: B C D E F G A B
* B-flat
harmonic minor: B C D E F G A B
* B-flat
melodic minor ascending: B C D E F G A B
* B-flat melodic minor descending: B A G F E D C B
Diatonic scale
In music theory, a diatonic scale is any heptatonic scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole st ...
s
* B
Ionian
Ionic or Ionian may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Ionic meter, a poetic metre in ancient Greek and Latin poetry
* Ionian mode, a musical mode or a diatonic scale
Places and peoples
* Ionian, of or from Ionia, an ancient region in western ...
: B C D E F G A B
* B
Dorian
Dorian may refer to:
Ancient Greece
* Dorians, one of the main ethnic divisions of ancient Greeks
* Doric Greek, or Dorian, the dialect spoken by the Dorians
Art and entertainment Films
* ''Dorian'' (film), the Canadian title of the 2004 film ' ...
: B C D E F G A B
* B
Phrygian: B C D E F G A B
* B
Lydian: B C D E F G A B
* B
Mixolydian: B C D E F G A B
* B
Aeolian
Aeolian commonly refers to things related to either of two Greek mythological figures:
* Aeolus (son of Hippotes), ruler of the winds
* Aeolus (son of Hellen), son of Hellen and eponym of the Aeolians
* Aeolians, an ancient Greek tribe thought to ...
: B C D E F G A B
* B
Locrian: B C D E F G A B
Jazz melodic minor
* B
ascending melodic minor: B C D E F G A B
* B
Dorian ♭2: B C D E F G A B
* B
Lydian augmented: B C D E F G A B
* B
Lydian dominant: B C D E F G A B
* B
Mixolydian ♭6: B C D E F G A B
* B
Locrian ♮2: B C D E F G A B
* B
altered: B C D E F G A B
See also
*
Piano key frequencies
*
:B-flat instruments
*
Root (chord)
{{DEFAULTSORT:B Flat
Musical notes
sv:Ton (ljud)#B, H och Bess