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A sheet.

I have an assign that convert this sheet to 'Roland's pitch' and 'Yamaha's pitch'. I have no idea about what is Roland's pitch and Yamaha's pitch, neither how to do it. Please let me know.

addtion image

using this image.

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  • 1
    As far as I know, there are no such terms. Roland and Yamaha both produce keyboards, and both are re-tuneable. It may have something to do with the MIDI numbering system where one uses 0 and the other 1 as a start point. But as far as 12TET is concerned, the two should be equal in pitch.
    – Tim
    Apr 30, 2018 at 8:04
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    If it is an "assign" (assignment), why not contact the teacher or someone else on the course for clarification?
    – user48353
    Apr 30, 2018 at 8:18
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    Your teacher must be asked. If he gives a question that no-one understands, it's not productive to anybody.
    – Tim
    Apr 30, 2018 at 8:52
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    Hello folks. Middle C on a MIDI keyboard always triggers MIDI note 60, unless some kind of octave shift or transposition button has been pressed, or some alternative key assignment is being used. MIDI note 60 is assigned to middle C. However, Yamaha give this note the name C3, while Roland use the conventional name C4 for middle C (MIDI note 60). Apr 30, 2018 at 9:51
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    Sorry for my curiosity, but may I know in which class/topic did you get this assignment? Is this something related to an introduction of digital music/MIDI? And also, probably some short background on what have you learned from that class? Probably that might add some context to this assignment and question.
    – Andrew T.
    Apr 30, 2018 at 15:23

1 Answer 1

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Middle C, the C written below the treble clef and above the bass clef, has MIDI note 60. Conventionally, this note is referred to as C4. However, Yamaha refers to MIDI note 60 (middle C) as C3. Another major music equipment company, Roland, refers to this note as C4, as is conventional.

Therefore, the first note in your first diagram is B4 in “Roland pitch” and B3 in “Yamaha pitch”.

To find the “Roland pitch” of a given note, use your second diagram; the “Yamaha pitch” of a note is the same with the number being one lower.

BTW, I found out about this while using Apple’s Logic Pro X. By default this uses the name C3 for MIDI note 60 (middle C). This totally confused me and prompted me to Google an explanation. As it happens, Logic allows you to choose either “Roland C4” or “Yamaha C3” for MIDI note 60, hence why I knew what you were asking about...!

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  • BTW, I’m answering on a mobile, so it’s a bit hard for me to link to online sources backing up this information. I’ll do this when I get home. Apr 30, 2018 at 9:31
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    If this is all the teacher wanted, I have to say -- what a banal, boring, tedious assignment! Apr 30, 2018 at 13:18
  • Couldn’t agree more, Carl... pretty pointless... Apr 30, 2018 at 14:03
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    I love that Logic's default is, ironically, illogical.
    – minseong
    Apr 30, 2018 at 20:47
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    Perhaps a better, more searching question should be 'Why has Yamaha gone against the rest (or most of the rest) of the music world?' +1.
    – Tim
    May 2, 2018 at 11:55

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