pitch class

noun

An equivalence class of all pitches that are octaves apart, and which would be labeled by an integer, not a traditional letter name.

“The notes B₃, B₄, and C♭₅ all belong to the same pitch class, named 11 or e.”

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Meanings

nounpitch class (plural pitch classes)

plural pitch classes

  1. entertainmentAn equivalence class of all pitches that are octaves apart, and which would be labeled by an integer, not a traditional letter name.

    The notes B₃, B₄, and C♭₅ all belong to the same pitch class, named 11 or e.

Cite this entry
APA

pitch class. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitch%20class

MLA

“pitch class.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitch%20class. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pitch class,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitch%20class.

Source: pitch class on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.