La or A is the sixth note (submediant) in the C Major scale. "A" is generally used as a standard for tuning. When the orchestra tunes, the oboe plays an "A" and the rest of the instruments tune to match that pitch. Every string instrument in the orchestra has an A string, from which each player can tune the rest of their instrument. In music, the submediant is the sixth degree of the scale. ... C major (often just C or key of C) is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has no flats/sharps (see below: Diatonic Scales and Keys). ... The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. ...

"A" is also used in combination with a number (e.g. A-440) to label the pitch standard. The number designates the cycles per second of sound waves. A lower number equals a lower pitch. MHZ redirects here. ...

By an international treaty signed in 1939, modern pitch is standardized at A-440. However, tuning has varied over time, geographical region, or instrument maker. In seventeenth-century Europe, tunings ranged from about A-374 to A-403, approximately two to three half-steps below A-440. Historical examples exist of instruments, tuning forks, or standards ranging from A-309 to A-455.3, a difference of almost six half-steps. Although the official standard today is A-440, some orchestral groups and chamber groups prefer to tune a little higher, at A-442 or even A-444. Baroque pitch is usually cited as A-415, which is a half-step lower than modern pitch. A440 is the 440 Hz tone that serves as the standard for musical pitch. ... A half step is either: the interval of a minor second in music, or the half step (dance move) in dance. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ...

A0 is the lowest note on the standard piano. The octaves follow A1, A2, etc. A7 is a few pitches lower than C8, the highest note on the standard piano. The note "A" is not considered to be a certain milestone or mark to hit with voice as, for example, Tenor C is, but it can be extremely demanding in certain octaves. A short grand piano, with the top up. ... The musical note C8 is the C two full octaves above soprano high C. The note is one octave above the top of common musical keyboards, but the highest note of an 88-key piano. ... Tenor C is the C one octave above Middle C. It is also known as C5. ... In music, an octave (sometimes abbreviated 8ve or P8) is the interval between one musical note and another with half or double its frequency. ...

Designation by octave

This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... The naming of individual Cs using the Helmholtz system Helmholtz pitch notation is a musical system for naming notes of the Western chromatic scale. ...

Common scales beginning on A

• A Major: A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A G♯ F♯ E D C♯ B A
• A Natural Minor: A B C D E F G A G F E D C B A
• A Harmonic Minor: A B C D E F G♯ A G♯ F E D C B A
• A Melodic Minor: A B C D E F♯ G♯ A G F E D C B A

A major is a major scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, and A. Its key signature consists of three sharps. ...

External links

• Standard Pitch or Concert Pitch for Pianos by Barrie Heaton
• Virginia Tech Music Dictionary: A