Music Staff Notes, Piano Keys and Fretboard
Tap a note and see where it sits on the staff in treble, bass and C clef (alto and tenor), with the line or space spelled out, every key on the piano and every fret on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, ukulele or cavaquinho where it sounds, and its frequency based on the reference A.
How to use it
- Choose the note and the octave (middle C is C4). The ♯ and ♭ buttons change how the black keys are spelled: C♯ or D♭.
- Read the note's position on the four staves; once it goes past five ledger lines, it is shown with 8va or 8vb, as in printed music.
- On the fretboard, choose the instrument: solid dots are the exact note and pale dots the same note in other octaves.
- In Interval, choose the 1st and the 2nd note or use the shortcuts (3M, 5P...) to go up from the first one.
- Tap a key, fret or staff note to hear it; on a computer keyboard, the arrow keys move by a half step and by an octave.
Help and explanations
In Interval mode, pick two notes to get the interval name (minor 3rd, perfect 5th, tritone), how many semitones it spans, its inversion and how it sounds, together or one after the other.
How to read the notes on the staff
In treble clef, the note on the 2nd line (counting from the bottom) is G4; the lines are E G B D F ("Every Good Boy Does Fine") and the spaces spell F A C E. In bass clef, the 4th line is F3; the lines are G B D F A ("Good Boys Do Fine Always") and the spaces A C E G ("All Cows Eat Grass"). Middle C sits on the first ledger line below the treble staff and on the first ledger line above the bass staff.
The C clef marks C4 on the line where it sits: the 3rd line (alto clef, used by the viola) or the 4th line (tenor clef, for the high register of the cello, bassoon and trombone).
Intervals and semitones
The interval number counts letter names (C to E is a 3rd) and the quality comes from the semitones: a minor 3rd has 3, a major 3rd 4, a perfect 4th 5, the tritone 6, a perfect 5th 7 and the octave 12. C–D♯ and C–E♭ sound the same, but one is an augmented 2nd and the other a minor 3rd: the spelling button shows both.
A compound interval is larger than an octave: a major 9th is an octave plus a major 2nd. To invert a simple interval, pick the number that adds up to 9 with it (a 3rd becomes a 6th, a 4th becomes a 5th) and swap major for minor; perfect stays perfect.
Tips
- Learn the landmark notes first: G on the 2nd line of the treble clef, F on the 4th line of the bass clef and middle C between them. You can count the others from there.
- On guitar, the 5th fret of the 6th string sounds the same as the open 5th string, and so on up to the 1st string; only from the 3rd to the 2nd string is it the 4th fret. It is the classic way to tune by ear.
- To practice reading with instant feedback, use note reading practice; to recognize intervals by ear, try ear training.
- The frequency of every note in every octave is in the note frequency chart.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes on the treble clef staff?
Lines, from bottom to top: E4, G4, B4, D5 and F5. Spaces: F4, A4, C5 and E5. Middle C (C4) sits on the first ledger line below the staff.
What are the bass clef notes?
Lines, from bottom to top: G2, B2, D3, F3 and A3. Spaces: A2, C3, E3 and G3. Bass clef on the 4th line is used for the piano (left hand), bass, cello and trombone.
Which instruments use the C clef?
On the 3rd line (alto clef), the viola. On the 4th line (tenor clef), the cello, bassoon and trombone when they play high. In both, the line of the clef is C4.
How many semitones are in a major third?
Four (C–E). A minor third has three (C–E♭), a perfect fourth five, a perfect fifth seven and an octave twelve.
What is a tritone?
The interval of six semitones, three whole steps: C–F♯ (augmented 4th) or C–G♭ (diminished 5th). It splits the octave exactly in half and appears in the dominant seventh chord.
What is the difference between a simple and a compound interval?
A simple interval fits within an octave (from a 2nd to an 8th); a compound interval goes beyond it: 9ths, 10ths, 11ths and 13ths are 2nds, 3rds, 4ths and 6ths plus an octave.
Where is middle C on the guitar?
C4, at 261.63 Hz, is on the 2nd string at fret 1, the 3rd string at fret 5, the 4th string at fret 10 and the 5th string at fret 15. Guitar music writes it an octave higher, because the guitar sounds an octave below written pitch.