B, also known asSi,Ti, or, in some European countries,H,[1] is the seventhnote and the twelfthsemitone of thefixed-Do solfège. Itsenharmonic equivalents are C♭ (C-flat) and A
(A-double sharp).
When calculated inequal temperament with a reference ofA above middle C as 440Hz, thefrequency of Middle B (B4) is 493.883 Hz.[2] Seemusical pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.
| Scientific designation | Helmholtz designation | Octave name | Frequency (Hz) | MIDI note number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B−1 | B͵͵͵ or ͵͵͵B or BBBB | Subsubcontra | 15.434 | 11 |
| B0 | B͵͵ or ͵͵B or BBB | Subcontra | 30.868 | 23 |
| B1 | B͵ or ͵B or BB | Contra | 61.735 | 35 |
| B2 | B | Great | 123.471 | 47 |
| B3 | b | Small | 246.942 | 59 |
| B4 | b′ | One-lined | 493.883 | 71 |
| B5 | b′′ | Two-lined | 987.767 | 83 |
| B6 | b′′′ | Three-lined | 1975.533 | 95 |
| B7 | b′′′′ | Four-lined | 3951.066 | 107 |
| B8 | b′′′′′ | Five-lined | 7902.133 | 119 |
| B9 | b′′′′′′ | Six-lined | 15804.266 | N/A |
| B10 | b′′′′′′′ | Seven-lined | 31608.531 | N/A |
G♯ A♯ BThe referent of the musical note B varies by location.[citation needed] SeeMusical note § History of note names for a discussion on other differences in letter naming of the notes.
In theUnited States,Canada, Australia, theUnited Kingdom, theRepublic of Ireland, and the Netherlands, as described above, B usually refers to the note asemitone below C, whileB-flat refers to the note awhole tone below C.[citation needed]
However, in Germany,Central andEastern Europe, andScandinavia, the label B is sometimes used for what, above, is called B-flat, and the note asemitone below C is called H. This makes possible certain spellings which are otherwise impossible, such as theBACH motif and theDSCH motif (the latter of which also uses the "S" name for what in Anglophone would beE-flat).[citation needed]
