E is the third
note
Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to:
Music and entertainment
* Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music
* ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian
* ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened versi ...
and the fifth
semitone
A semitone, also called a minor second, 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 ...
of the
C major
C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
scale, and mi in
fixed-do solfège. It has
enharmonic
In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...
equivalents of F♭
F-flat) which is by definition a diatonic semitone above Eand D (D-double sharp), amongst others.
When calculated in
equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament or Musical tuning#Tuning systems, tuning system that approximates Just intonation, just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into steps such that the ratio of the frequency, frequencie ...
with a reference of A above middle C as 440
Hz, the
frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. Frequency is an important parameter used in science and engineering to specify the rate of oscillatory and vibratory phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, audio ...
of Middle E (E
4) is approximately 329.628 Hz.
See
pitch (music)
Pitch is a perception, perceptual property that allows sounds to be ordered on a frequency-related scale (music), scale,
or more commonly, pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associate ...
for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.
Designation by octave
Scales
Common scales in the key of E.
*
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
: E F G A B C D E
*
E natural minor: E F G A B C D E
* E
harmonic minor: E F G A B C D E
* E
melodic minor ascending: E F G A B C D E
* E melodic minor descending: E D C B A G F E
E major modes (
diatonic scale
In music theory a diatonic scale is a heptatonic scale, heptatonic (seven-note) 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 eith ...
s).
* E
Ionian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Dorian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Phrygian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Lydian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Mixolydian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Aeolian: E F G A B C D E
* E
Locrian: E F G A B C D E
E melodic (Jazz) minor modes
* E
ascending melodic minor: E F G A B C D E
* E
Dorian ♭2: E F G A B C D E
* E
Lydian augmented: E F G A B C D E
* E
Lydian dominant: E F G A B C D E
* E
Mixolydian ♭6: E F G A B C D E
* E
Locrian ♮2: E F G A B C D E
* E
altered: E F G A B C D E
E harmonic minor modes
* E harmonic minor: E F G A B C D E
* E Locrian 6: E F G A B C D E
* E Ionian 5: E F G A B C D E
* E Dorian 4: E F G A B C D E
* E Phrygian 3: E F G A B C D E
* E Lydian 2: E F G A B C D E
* E Superlocrian 7: E F G A B C D E
E harmonic major modes
* E Harmonic Major: E F G A B C D E
* E Dorian 5: E F G A B C D E
* E Phrygian 4: E F G A B C D E
* E Lydian 3: E F G A B C D E
* E Mixolydian 2: E F G A B C D E
* E Lydian Augmented 2: E F G A B C D E
* E Locrian 7: E F G A B C D E
F-flat
F is a common
enharmonic
In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...
equivalent of E, but is not regarded as the same note. F is commonly found after E in the same measure in pieces where E is in the
key signature
In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the cl ...
, in order to represent a
diatonic
Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair ...
, rather than a chromatic semitone; writing an E with a following E is regarded as a chromatic alteration of one scale degree.
References
See also
*
Piano key frequencies
This is a list of the fundamental frequencies in hertz (cycles per second) of the keys of a modern 88-key standard or 108-key extended piano in twelve-tone equal temperament, with the 49th key, the fifth A (called A4), tuned to 440 Hz (refe ...
*
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
*
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp, on the F. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
Change ...
*
Root (chord)
In the music theory of harmony, the root is a specific Note (music), note that names and typifies a given chord (music), chord. Chords are often spoken about in terms of their root, their Chord quality, quality, and their Chord extensions, exten ...
{{Semitones
Musical notes