Note reference

E-sharp Note (E#)

The E♯ note is pitch class 5. On piano, play the highlighted key; on guitar, use any highlighted fret position. In standard pitch notation, E♯4 is 349.23 Hz when A4 is tuned to 440 Hz.

E♯ on piano

Find the highlighted key and then move left or right by complete groups of 12 keys to locate the same note name in other octaves.

E♯ repeats once per octave.

E♯ on sheet music

The vertical staff position follows the letter name. A sharp or flat changes the pitch without changing the line or space assigned to that letter.

Treble example uses octave 4; bass example uses octave 3.

E♯ on guitar

In standard tuning, the diagram shows open-string and fretted locations from fret 0 through fret 12. Learn two or three nearby positions first, then connect the full pattern.

All marked frets produce E♯ in different octaves.

Why the note is spelled E♯

E♯ is used when the note must function as a raised E or as the seventh scale degree of F♯. Writing F instead may hide the scale degree or chord spelling even though the piano key is the same.

Enharmonic equivalent: E♯ and F use the same key on a modern equal-tempered piano. They sound alike but communicate different musical spelling and function.

This spelling appears in F♯ major, C♯ major, and minor-key forms that raise the seventh scale degree. In chord and scale notation, keeping each scale degree on the expected letter makes intervals easier to read.

E♯ frequencies by octave

The table uses twelve-tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz. Other concert-pitch standards shift every value slightly.

Scientific pitchMIDI noteFrequency
E♯12943.65 Hz
E♯24187.31 Hz
E♯353174.61 Hz
E♯465349.23 Hz
E♯577698.46 Hz
E♯6891396.91 Hz
E♯71012793.83 Hz

Frequently asked questions

Where is E♯ on the piano?

Use the highlighted key in the keyboard diagram. The same key repeats every 12 semitones, so every octave has another E♯.

Where is E♯ on guitar?

The fretboard diagram marks every occurrence through fret 12 in standard tuning E–A–D–G–B–E. The pattern repeats after the 12th fret.

How is E♯ written on sheet music?

The staff diagram shows E♯4 in treble clef and E♯3 in bass clef. Add the accidental before the notehead when the key signature does not already supply it.

What frequency is E♯?

Frequency depends on octave. With A4 = 440 Hz, E♯4 is 349.23 Hz; each higher octave doubles the frequency.

Is E♯ the same as F?

They are enharmonic equivalents in equal temperament, so they have the same pitch on a piano. The written name changes according to the key and harmonic role.