Helmholtz Pitch Notation

[memyselfandus]

Helmholtz pitch notation. anyone use it? I like it because it factors in Compound Interval sounds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmholtz_pitch_notation

Helmholtz pitch notation is a musical system for naming notes of the Western chromatic scale. Developed by the German scientist Hermann von Helmholtz, it uses a combination of upper and lower case letters (A to G),[1] and the sub- and super-prime symbols ( ͵  ′ ) to describe each individual note of the scale. It is one of two formal systems for naming notes in a particular octave, the other being scientific pitch notation.

[Kondarivan]

Hello.

The Helmholtz notation and variants of it are quite common in several parts of Europe. In fact, we rarely use scientific notation in "academic circles", and that's probably because middle C is considered more of a hub than sub-contra octave C
I find a certain variant of the Helmholtz notation a bit easier to deal with: using numbers instead of , and ' symbols. For instance D1 (or sometimes D-1) represents the contra octave D. Isn't it a bit tidier?

[Edit] Oops, I though the : P emote meant something else

[elnn]

Hello.

The Helmholtz notation and variants of it are quite common in several parts of Europe. In fact, we rarely use scientific notation in "academic circles", and that's probably because middle C is considered more of a hub than sub-contra octave C
I find a certain variant of the Helmholtz notation a bit easier to deal with: using numbers instead of , and ' symbols. For instance D1 (or sometimes D-1) represents the contra octave D. Isn't it a bit tidier?

[Edit] Oops, I though the : P emote meant something else

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation

well according to wiki, you use exactly that, don't you?

[JumpingJackFlash]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation

The problem with using things like C3 and C4 is that they still aren't standardised. In some systems "middle C" is the former, in others it's the latter. C3 in Cubase is not the same as a C3 in Logic... and so on.

[murnau]

C3 or C4 in the midiworld mean the middle C which Helmholtz pitch notation is c' and not c''' or c'''' or whatever.

this are two standards which have nothing to do with each other.

it's simply that middle C will in real notation always be c' but in your midi-editor it's C3 or C4 (yamaha or roland midi inventors), nothing to worry about.

[Kondarivan]

well according to wiki, you use exactly that, don't you?

Ummm no. In scientific notation, you notate this:

as C0, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9 (as obviously pointed out by the picture). In what I was referring to, the same sequence is notated as: C2 (or C-2), C1 (or C-1), C, c, c1, c2, c3, c4, c5, c6.

The problem with using things like C3 and C4 is that they still aren't standardised. In some systems "middle C" is the former, in others it's the latter. C3 in Cubase is not the same as a C3 in Logic... and so on.

I always thought "middle C" was a clear definition of 261 Hz = C4?

[JumpingJackFlash]

I always thought "middle C" was a clear definition of 261 Hz = C4?

"Middle C" is always 261.626 Hz, but unfortunately that isn't always called "C4". Sometimes it's "C3".

That's one of the reasons I like staff notation; no ambiguity.

[murnau]

I always thought "middle C" was a clear definition of 261 Hz = C4?

again, yep in notation world, but that have nothing to do with midi-standard as said.

you can also see it this way: if you write C4 in your piano-roll and change to noation it depends on your daw which note it will be: roland based its c' and yamaha based midi-editor a octave down: c

[jancivil]

I always thought "middle C" was a clear definition of 261 Hz = C4?

"Middle C" is always 261.626 Hz

that's only true if A=440hz obviously. When I load a new instance of Vienna Instruments Pro, A=442. Not sure when that changed. Could change again at any time! 443 is used in some European halls today. I've played around with lower than 440 As. Pitch wars, 'brilliance' of timbre is what drives this rise.

I set BFD2 to give me note numbers because it seemed to be more sensible in theory. I find that I'm so used to Middle C as C3 it's a whole lot more convenient so I reverted. Bottom MIDI note = C-2. Kind of messes with the whole 'science' of note numbering. Not sure what's scientific about calling that one pitch 'C0' myself.
VSL likes the C4 but I set it to correspond with Cubase. That matters to me mostly because of keyswitches, something in one interface showing C1 but I'm penciling in C0, kind of annoying even though I'm automatic with it.