Names of the Notes in Different Languages

[rojo]

Besides standard musical notation, it might be nice to communicate musically with others around the world, so I thought it might be fun to compile a list of the names of the notes in different languages. Here are the names of the notes in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German-

http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/keylang.htm

and here is information on the names of the swaras (notes) used in Indian music-

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

Anyone want to provide the names of the notes in any other language/s? Or a link to a site with the names of notes in other languages?

 

[Art Rock]

In Dutch, we use the French majeur/mineur and the German -is/-es. For the separate notse, we use the German system, but B flat is Bes and B is B (there is no H in Dutch notes).

 

[rojo]

Thanks for that, Art Rock.

Funny, it seems in Western music, there are two major note-naming systems-

1. syllables- Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si -used by French, Spanish and Italian folk,

and

2. letters of the alphabet- C D E F G A B -used by English, German (except for the H business) and Dutch folk.

Here in Canada, the French use Do Re Mi, and the English use C D E. So I use both all the time. And now English people sometimes learn Do Re Mi and French people sometimes learn C D E, depending on their schooling.

I'm off to look for the origins of these systems...

 

[rojo]

Link about notes-

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

 

[Dimpu]

Name of the notes in different languages

This is quiet an interesting topic i have gone through! Well these notes in different languages will be of great help to us. Thanks for this contribution!

 

[Mat]

In Poland we use both Do, Re, Mi and C, D, E,. We use dur/moll and -es/-is. B is in polish H (C, D, E, F, G, A, H, C) and B-flat is B.

 

[methodistgirl]

italia

Ever heard of staccato notes? You know the ones with dots underneath
them. I noticed that Beethoven's 9th is full of them and not to mention
piano fortie that means to be soft and allergo which means fast.

judy tooley

 

[musicpiano]

In Spain we use do re mi...but we also study the notes in English and German which I think is better 'cause many times it's very useful.

 

[Violinschlüssel]

I guess that this differentiation could depend on the origins of the languages where these systems are used. I mean, in Spanish, French and Italian (my mother tongue), which are all Neo-Latin languages, syllables are used.
On the contrary, in German, English, Dutch, etc. - all Germanic languages - the letters of the alphabet are used.
This is something that has always made me think (maybe, also because I am a linguist. ).
Anyway, very interesting topic!

 

[Simon Jansfort]

Anybody know a good source for other musically related words to be translated?
Like ...
Bar, part, score, punctuation ... and here I'm already missing a few in English. But the language I'm most interested in is Spanish, cause I might have to teaach music there within the year

Simon

 

[rojo]

Not off-hand, but if I find anything good, I'll post it.

 

[Violinschlüssel]

I know this online translation dictionary:
http://www.logosdictionary.org
Give it a try: it may turn out helpful.

 

[tomato]

Here in South Korea, it's a mess.
Sometimes, they borrow A B C from the Germanic people.
Sometimes, they borrow do re mi from Guido.
(Only they don't have an L, so la becomes ra.)
Sometimes, they substitute A B C with the Korean alphabet, which goes "ga na da ra ma ba sa."
That means that ra could be A under the Guido system or F under the Korean alphabet system.

 

[Mat]

Hi

I've got a question. Because in Poland we use capital letters to write major keys (for example F major or F-dur) and small letters for minor keys (f minor or f-moll). I'd like to know how it is in other countries? Is it the same way? Or the size of the letter is just not important??

 

[methodistgirl]

allergo means fast
judy tooley

 

[Mat]

allergo means fast
judy tooley

That is correct, Judy. But it is not an answer to my question, I believe...


Humbly,
Mat

 

[Contratrombone64]

Hi

I've got a question. Because in Poland we use capital letters to write major keys (for example F major or F-dur) and small letters for minor keys (f minor or f-moll). I'd like to know how it is in other countries? Is it the same way? Or the size of the letter is just not important??

Mat ... we do sometimes see F for major and f for minor, in fact I use this nomenclature myself, whether it's "kosher" to Australian ways I'm not sure!

We also, like the British and New Zealanders say quaver, semiquaver, minim et cetera ...

 

[tomato]

Hello, Mat!

In the United States, some people use upper and lower case letters for major and minor, some people always use upper case letters.

Hello, Contratrombone!

Here in Korea, the note values are called by fractions, just as they are in the United States, but translated into Korean, of course.

 

[C5Says]

we use 'do re mi fa so la ti do' and use 'C D E F G A B' when playing guitar or if it's chording a piano.

in rondalla (a group of stringed instruments), oftentimes the do re mi is used as opposed to reading the score so the way flats and sharps are written are as follows:

flat:
ra me se le te

sharp:
di ri fi si li

 

[jvhldb]

Hi

I've got a question. Because in Poland we use capital letters to write major keys (for example F major or F-dur) and small letters for minor keys (f minor or f-moll). I'd like to know how it is in other countries? Is it the same way? Or the size of the letter is just not important??

In South Africa we use capital letters for major keys and lower case for minor keys. We also use only one notatio system, C D E .....

Does anybody know where I can get a translation of the values of notes. I'm used to half note, whole note etc. My theory classes are in Afrikaans where we use these values, but I was informed this week that I'm doing the Royal School theory exams in May, in English, and they sometimes reffer to note values as quavers, brevets?? or something like that.