G, also called Sol or So, is the fifth

note Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to: Music and entertainment * Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music * ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian * ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened versi ...

of the fixed-do solfège starting on C. It is the fifth

and the eighth

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 ...

. As such it is the dominant, a

perfect fifth In music theory, a perfect fifth is the Interval (music), musical interval corresponding to a pair of pitch (music), pitches with a frequency ratio of 3:2, or very nearly so. In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is the interval f ...

above C or

perfect fourth A fourth is a interval (music), musical interval encompassing four staff positions in the music notation of Western culture, and a perfect fourth () is the fourth spanning five semitones (half steps, or half tones). For example, the ascending int ...

below C. 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 C or Do is the first note of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz. The actual frequency has d ...

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 middle G (G₄) note is approximately 391.995 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency. It has enharmonic equivalents of F (F-double sharp) and A (A-double flat). 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 Gesolreut (sometimes split into the parts G sol re ut) is a music term dating to the medieval period. It is the word used for the pitches g and g♯ within the hexachord system devised by Guido of Arezzo. It is the seventh compound name utilized i ...

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 The harmonic minor scale (or Aeolian ♮7 scale) is a musical scale derived from the natural minor scale, with the minor seventh degree raised by one semitone to a major seventh, creating an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degree ...

: 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 Mixolydian mode may refer to one of three things: the name applied to one of the ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' or ''tonoi'', based on a particular octave species or scale; one of the medieval church modes; or a modern musical mode or diatonic sca ...

: 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

In popular culture

It is the first note of the 2006 song "

Welcome to the Black Parade "Welcome to the Black Parade" is a song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance from their third studio album '' The Black Parade'' (2006). It was released as the album's lead single on September 12, 2006. An emo and pop-punk song, it op ...

" by

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...

, which made the note a

meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...

References

{{Semitones Musical notes