Note Names: Do, Re, Mi and C, D, E

Notes can be named in more than one system. You may hear do, re, mi, but chord names, tuners, and guitar diagrams usually use C, D, E.

April 30, 2026

Reader level: Listener

Note Names: Do, Re, Mi and C, D, E

Notes can have different names. In solfege, you may see or hear: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si. In chord symbols, tuners, guitar apps, and international learning materials, you will more often see letters: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

These are not two different kinds of music theory. They are two ways to name the same seven basic notes.

The main relationship is this:

Solfege name	Letter name
do	C
re	D
mi	E
fa	F
sol	G
la	A
si	B

If you see a C chord, its root is the note do. If you see the note A, that is la. If your tuner shows E, that is mi.

Small example in notation and tab

Do–re–mi–fa in standard notation

C–D–E–F on the fifth string

A common question is: why does the letter sequence start with A, while do is called C?

For the first steps in music theory, you do not need to go deep into the history of notation. The practical point is simpler: in the modern international letter system, C means do, D means re, E means mi, F means fa, G means sol, A means la, and B means si. Learn this relationship and start recognizing it in chord names.

On guitar, the letter system appears all the time. Standard tuning is written like this:

E A D G B E

In solfege, that becomes:

mi, la, re, sol, si, mi

Open the fretboard explorer, choose standard tuning, and find the open strings. This makes it clear that letters are not a separate “English theory.” They are a practical language for finding sounds on the instrument.

⚠ Attention

In the German letter-name system, the note B natural is written as H, while B means B-flat. This is why some books and chord charts use H where English-language notation usually uses B.

Do not make sharps and flats the main topic yet. Between the basic notes, there are intermediate sounds: C#, D#, F#, G#, A#, and their flat-name alternatives. For now, it is enough to connect the seven basic names confidently.

A useful minimum for now:

C# is called C-sharp;
D# is called D-sharp;
Bb is called B-flat;
the # sign raises a note;
the b sign lowers a note.

This will make more sense in the article “What Are Tones and Semitones”.

To avoid confusion, do not try to read everything quickly at once. Start with two rows:

C D E F G A B
do re mi fa sol la si

Then connect the pairs: C — do, D — re, E — mi. That is already enough to recognize letters in chord names, tuners, and fretboard diagrams.

5-minute exercise

Write the row: C D E F G A B.
Under each letter, write its solfege name.
Name the open guitar strings with letters: E A D G B E.
Translate them into solfege names.
Check yourself in the fretboard explorer.

The goal is to connect letter names and solfege names for the seven basic notes.

Common confusion

C is not si. C is do. In the international letter system, si is written as B.

For guitarists, it is useful to know both systems. Solfege names are common in speech and basic music theory, while letters appear more often in chord symbols, tuners, diagrams, and apps.

You do not need to study sharps and flats deeply right away. First, learn the seven basic notes, then add the intermediate sounds.

What to study next

A good next path is:

The main idea is simple: do, re, mi and C, D, E name the same sounds using different systems. For guitarists, the letter system is especially important because it is used for tuning, chords, scales, and most diagrams.

Note Names: Do, Re, Mi and C, D, E