F (musical note)

Musical note

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F is a musical note, the fourth above C or fifth below C. It is the fourth note and the sixth semitone of the solfège. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.[1] It is enharmonic equivalent with E♯ (E-sharp)[2] and G (G-double flat),[3] amongst others.

When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F (F4) is approximately 349.228 Hz.[4] See pitch (music) for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.

## Designation by octave

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Scientific designation  | Helmholtz designation  | Octave name  | Frequency (Hz)  | MIDI note number

|
|
|
|

F−1 | F͵͵͵ or ͵͵͵F or FFFF | Octocontra | 10.913  | 5
F0 | F͵͵ or ͵͵F or FFF | Subcontra | 21.827  | 17
F1 | F͵ or ͵F or FF | Contra | 43.654  | 29
F2 | F | Great | 87.307  | 41
F3 | f | Small | 174.614  | 53
F4 | f′ | One-lined | 349.228  | 65
F5 | f′′ | Two-lined | 698.456  | 77
F6 | f′′′ | Three-lined | 1396.913  | 89
F7 | f′′′′ | Four-lined | 2793.826  | 101
F8 | f′′′′′ | Five-lined | 5587.652  | 113
F9 | f′′′′′′ | Six-lined | 11175.303  | 125
F10 | f′′′′′′′ | Seven-lined | 22350.607  | N/A

## Scales

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### Common scales beginning on F

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* F major: F G A B♭ C D E F
* F natural minor: F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F
* F harmonic minor: F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E F
* F melodic minor ascending: F G A♭ B♭ C D E F
* F melodic minor descending: F E♭ D♭ C B♭ A♭ G F

### Diatonic scales

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* F Ionian: F G A B♭ C D E F
* F Dorian: F G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F
* F Phrygian: F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F
* F Lydian: F G A B C D E F
* F Mixolydian: F G A B♭ C D E♭ F
* F Aeolian: F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F
* F Locrian: F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F

### Jazz melodic minor

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* F ascending melodic minor: F G A♭ B♭ C D E F
* F Dorian ♭2: F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F
* F Lydian augmented: F G A B C♯ D E F
* F Lydian dominant: F G A B C D E♭ F
* F Mixolydian ♭6: F G A B♭ C D♭ E♭ F
* F Locrian ♮2: F G A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F
* F altered: F G♭ A♭ B C♭ D♭ E♭ F

## E-sharp

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E♯ (German: Eis)[5] is a common enharmonic equivalent of F, but is not regarded as the same note. E♯ is commonly found before F♯ in the same measure in pieces where F♯ is in the key signature, in order to represent a diatonic, rather than a chromatic semitone; writing an F♮ with a following F♯ is regarded as a chromatic alteration of one scale degree. Though E♯ and F♮ sound the same in any 12-tone temperament, other tunings may define them as distinct pitches.

## References

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1. ^ Demorest (2001, p. 46)
2. ^ Griffiths (2004, p. 617)
3. ^ Zundel (1848, p. 24)
4. ^ Suits, B. H. (1998). "Physics of Music Notes - Scales: Just vs Equal Temperament". MTU.edu. Michigan Technological University. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
5. ^ Griffiths (2004, p. 399)

### Sources

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* Demorest, Steven M. (2001). Building Choral Excellence: Teaching Sight-Singing in the Choral Rehearsal. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-512462-0.
* Griffiths, Paul (7 October 2004). The Penguin Companion to Classical Music. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141909769.
* Zundel, John (1848). The Complete Melodeon Instructor, in Seven Parts: Designed as a Thorough Instruction Book for the Melodeon, Seraphine, Eolican, Melopean, Organ, Or Any Similar Instrument. O. Ditson.

## See also

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* Piano key frequencies
* F major
* F minor
* Root (chord)

* v
* t
* e

Notes of the chromatic scale

* B♯ / C
* C♯ / D♭
* D
* D♯ /  E♭
* E / F♭
* E♯ / F
* F♯ / G♭
* G
* G♯ / A♭
* A
* A♯ / B♭
* B / C♭

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