We all know that there's no standard for naming middle C.  It's called C3, C4 and C5 by different vendors.
 
But we hardly ever see notes other than C named in documentation.  So here's my question.  Which of the following is the correct way to write a series of notes that comprise a C major scale:
 
C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4
 
or
 
C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A4 B4 C4
 
In other words, does the number after the note represent the C octave an A or B is in?  Or are they sequentially ordered as in the second series?  Or is this just another one of those things that there is no real standard?
 

1st one looks good to me.

B4 C4 comes B3...C?

Below is a link to more info.
 
http://www.pianofinders.c...WhatToCallTheKeys1.htm

C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A4 B4 C4

C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4
 
While I agree that the classically and logically one might say A is the first note of the scale, modern music centers around the C scale. Check the PRV in Sonar. The octaves change at C. The same is true of any other libraries / programs I own.
 
 

dmbaer
We all know that there's no standard for naming middle C.  It's called C3, C4 and C5 by different vendors.
 
But we hardly ever see notes other than C named in documentation.  So here's my question.  Which of the following is the correct way to write a series of notes that comprise a C major scale:
 
C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4
 
or
 
C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A4 B4 C4
 
In other words, does the number after the note represent the C octave an A or B is in?  Or are they sequentially ordered as in the second series?  Or is this just another one of those things that there is no real standard?
 

This is called Scientific Pitch. It is described in multitudes of resources, both online and printed. For a reference, check Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/...entific_pitch_notation

"Scientific notation". Learn something new every day! Thanks for the question, David.
 
Yeh, I've always been a little uncomfortable with A0 following G0. Alphabetization is so deeply ingrained that we often do it without thinking.
 
But the piano holds a special place in musical history, being the only instrument (other than a pipe organ) that can play every note in the orchestra. Consequently, it's been the composer's choice since its invention, and despite rock star guitar players hogging all the attention it's piano players that ultimately rule. Who else is going to teach you your vocal harmonies? So if we say the universe orbits around middle C, that's how it is.
 

Definitely C. Piano tuners have something called the "temperament octave." It's from the F below middle C to the F above middle C. The way I was trained, you get the C an octave above middle C with a tunning fork, then use that to get middle C (a perfect octave). Then you get the F a perfect fifth below middle C. Then you tune the F an octave above. That gives you you the temperament octave. You then apply equal temperament to get the notes in between, tuning by altered fourths and fifths. (I'm talking about tuning by ear, which is what I did. It's different these days with electronic devices. Heck, you could even just match the notes to a good sampled concert grand and probably do a decent job). Anyway, once you have that octave right, you just copy the notes in octaves up and down the piano. But it's all based on middle C.

Soundwise
This is called Scientific Pitch. It is described in multitudes of resources, both online and printed. For a reference, check Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/...entific_pitch_notation

Interesting ... and a definitive answer (quoting directly from the article):
 
Octave number
The octave number increases by 1 upon an ascension from B to C (and not from G to A, as one might expect). Thus "A4" refers to the first A above C4 (middle C). As another example, in ascending the white keys on a keyboard, C4 immediately follows B3, as in the following sequence: "C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4 D4"
 
On the other hand, the Scientific Notation system denotes middle C as C4, which is probably the *least* used choice in virtual instrument/FX documentation.  Most of the time it's C3, but sometimes it's C5, which can be argued is correct since MIDI note 0 is also C0 in that system.