B, also known as Si, Ti, or, in some European countries, H, is the seventh note and the twelfth

semitone A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...

of the fixed-Do solfège. Its enharmonic equivalents are C (C-flat) and A (A-double sharp). When calculated in

equal temperament An equal temperament is a musical temperament or tuning system, which approximates just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into equal steps. This means the ratio of the frequencies of any adjacent pair of notes is the same, ...

with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the

frequency Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as ''temporal frequency'' for clarity, and is distinct from '' angular frequency''. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is ...

of Middle B (B₄) is approximately 493.883 Hz. See

pitch (music) Pitch is a perceptual property of sounds that allows their ordering on a frequency-related scale, or more commonly, pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodi ...

for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.

Designation by octave

Scales

Common scales beginning on B

* B major: B C D E F G A B * B natural minor: B C D E F G A B * B Harmonic minor: B C D E F G A B * B Melodic minor ascending: B C D E F G A B * B melodic minor descending: B A G F E D C B

Diatonic scales In music theory, a diatonic scale is any heptatonic scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole steps ...

* B

Ionian Ionic or Ionian may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ionic meter, a poetic metre in ancient Greek and Latin poetry * Ionian mode, a musical mode or a diatonic scale Places and peoples * Ionian, of or from Ionia, an ancient region in western ...

: B C D E F G A B * B

Dorian Dorian may refer to: Ancient Greece * Dorians, one of the main ethnic divisions of ancient Greeks * Doric Greek, or Dorian, the dialect spoken by the Dorians Art and entertainment Films * ''Dorian'' (film), the Canadian title of the 2004 film ' ...

: B C D E F G A B * B Phrygian: B C D E F G A B * B Lydian: B C D E F G A B * B Mixolydian: B C D E F G A B * B

Aeolian Aeolian commonly refers to things related to either of two Greek mythological figures: * Aeolus (son of Hippotes), ruler of the winds * Aeolus (son of Hellen), son of Hellen and eponym of the Aeolians * Aeolians, an ancient Greek tribe thought to ...

: B C D E F G A B * B Locrian: B C D E F G A B

Jazz melodic minor

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

Variation of meaning by geographical region

The referent of the musical note B varies by location. See for a discussion on other differences in letter naming of the notes. In the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Netherlands, as described above, B usually refers to the note a

below C, while

B-flat B-flat or B may refer to: * B (musical note) * B major * B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel ma ...

refers to the note a whole tone below C. However, in Germany, Central and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

, and

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

, the label B is sometimes used for what, above, is called B-flat, and the note a

below C is called H. This makes possible certain spellings which are otherwise impossible, such as the BACH motif and the DSCH motif (the latter of which also uses the "S" name for what in Anglophone would be

E-flat E-flat may refer to: * E♭ (musical note) * E-flat major * E-flat minor * E-flat tuning, on a guitar * "E Flat Boogie", a 1980 single by American funk band Trouble Funk See also * E-flat clarinet The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the ...