All About Middle C in Music

Middle C (C₄) is the first note of the fixed solfège scale and the half-way point on the piano keyboard. It is called middle C because it is the centermost C on a standard 88-key piano, 4 octaves from the left end of the keyboard. 

Notation of Middle C on Different Clefs

Across a variety of instruments and clefs, middle C is often referred to by musicians. In piano performance, middle C serves as an approximate border between notes played with the left hand (bass notes) and notes played with the right (treble notes). In sheet music, middle C is written on the first ledger line below the treble staff and the first ledger line above the bass staff. 

• Treble Clef: Middle C is notated on the first ledger line below the staff
• Bass Clef: Middle C is notated on the first ledger line above the staff
• Alto Clef: Middle C is notated on the middle (third) line of the staff
• Tenor Clef: Middle C is notated on the fourth line of the staff

Tuning of Middle C

In concert pitch, which is A440, middle C resonates at a frequency of 261.626 Hz. In scientific pitch notation, middle C is designated as C_4. 

Middle C Synonyms 

Although commonly called middle C, there are other names that are often used to describe this pitch: 

• C₄; MIDI #60
• c¹ (U.K. pitch notation)
• do³; do centrale (It)
• do³; do central (Fr)
• c ⁱ; eingestrichenes C (Ger)

Learn how to locate middle C on the piano or on different sizes of keyboards.