G♯ (G-sharp) or sol dièse is the ninth

semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, 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 ...

of the

solfège In music, solfège (British English or American English , ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a mnemonic used in teaching aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, W ...

. In the German pitch nomenclature, it is known as ''gis''. It lies a chromatic semitone above G and a

diatonic semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest interval (music), musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most Consonance and dissonance#Dissonance, dissonant when sounde ...

below A, thus being

enharmonic In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...

to ''la bémol'' or A (A-flat). When calculated in

equal temperament An equal temperament is a musical temperament or Musical tuning#Tuning systems, tuning system that approximates Just intonation, just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into steps such that the ratio of the frequency, frequencie ...

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. Frequency is an important parameter used in science and engineering to specify the rate of oscillatory and vibratory phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, audio ...

of the G♯ semitone is approximately 415.305 Hz. See

pitch (music) Pitch is a perception, perceptual property that allows sounds to be ordered on a frequency-related scale (music), scale, or more commonly, pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associate ...

for a discussion of historical variations in frequency. The notes A and G are the only notes to have only one enharmonic, since they cannot be reached in any other way by a single or double sharp or a single or double flat from any of the seven white notes. In the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

the musical note G# was known as gesolreut within the

Guidonian hand The Guidonian hand was a mnemonic device used to assist singers in learning to sight reading, sight-sing. Some form of the device may have been used by Guido of Arezzo, a medieval music theory, music theorist who wrote a number of treatises, incl ...

hexachord In music, a hexachord (also hexachordon) is a six- note series, as exhibited in a scale ( hexatonic or hexad) or tone row. The term was adopted in this sense during the Middle Ages and adapted in the 20th century in Milton Babbitt's serial t ...

system.

Designation by octave

Scales

Common scales beginning on G

G major G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...

: G A B C D E F G * G natural minor: G A B C D E F G * G harmonic minor: G A B C D E F G * G

melodic minor In Classical_music, Western classical music theory, the minor scale refers to three Scale (music), scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending). ...

ascending: G A B C D E F G * G melodic minor descending: G F E D C B A G

Diatonic scale In music theory a diatonic scale is a heptatonic scale, heptatonic (seven-note) 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 eith ...
s

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

Jazz melodic minor

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:G (Musical Note) Musical notes