B♯ (B sharp) is a musical note.
It is a chromatic semitone higher than B♮. It is found in keys such as A-sharp minor and C-sharp major. It is enharmonic to the note C.
In Western music, the expression "Middle B#" refers to the note "B#" located exactly between the two staves of the grand staff and near the top and bottom, respectively, of the bass and soprano voices. When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle B# as 440 Hz, the frequency of the middle B# note is approximately 261.626 Hz; see pitch (music) for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.
Middle B# is designated B#4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth B# key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard. While other note-octave systems (including those used by some manufacturers of digital music keyboards) may refer to "Middle B#" with a different designation, the B#4 designation is the most commonly recognized in auditory science and in musical studies it is frequently used in place of the Helmholtz designation b#'.
While the expression "Middle B#" is generally clear across instruments and clefs, some musicians tend to use the term to refer to the B# note in the middle of their specific instrument's range. For example, B#4 may be called "Low B#" by someone playing a Western concert flute (which has a higher and narrower playing range than a piano), while B#5 (523.251 Hz) would be "Middle B#". This technically inaccurate practice has led some pedagogues to encourage standardizing on B#4 as the definitive "Middle B#" in instructional materials across all instruments.[1]
Within vocal music the term Soprano B#,[citation needed] sometimes called High B#, is the B# two octaves above Middle B#. It is named because it is considered the defining note of the soprano voice type. It is also called B#6 in scientific pitch notation (1046.502 Hz). In Helmholtz notation, it is b#′″. The term Tenor B# is sometimes used in vocal music[citation needed] to refer to B#5 as it is the highest required note in the standard Tenor repertoire. The term tenor B# can also refer to an organ builder's term for small B# or B#3, the note one octave below Middle B#. In stoplists it usually means that a rank is not full compass, omitting the bottom octave.[2]
For the frequency of each note on a standard piano, see piano key frequencies.
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Designation by octave
| Scientific Designation | Helmholtz Designation | Bilinear Music Notation | Octave Name | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B#-1 | B#ˌˌˌ | (-uB#) | Subsubcontra | 8.176 |
| B#0 | B#ˌˌ | (-vB#) | Subcontra | 16.352 |
| B#1 | B#ˌ | (-wB#) | Contra | 32.703 |
| B#2 | B# | (-xB#) | Great | 65.406 |
| B#3 | b# | (-yB#) | Small | 130.813 |
| B#4 :Middle B# | b#′ :Middle B# | (zB#) :Middle B# | One-lined | 261.626 |
| B#5 | b#′′ | (yB#) | Two-lined | 523.251 |
| B#6 | b#′′′ | (xB#) | Three-lined | 1046.502 |
| B#7 | b#′′′′ | (wB#) | Four-lined | 2093.005 |
| B#8 | b#′′′′′ | (vB#) | Five-lined | 4186.009 |
| B#9 | b#′′′′′′ | (uB#) | Six-lined | 8372.018 |
Graphic presentation
See also
References
- ^ Large, John (February 1981). "Theory in Practice: Building a Firm Foundation". Music Educators Journal 32: 30–35.
- ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (2007-09-09). "The Note That Makes Us Weep". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/weekinreview/09wakin.html. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
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