How to use the music symbols
- Browse the groups above to find the music symbols you need.
- Click any symbol to copy it to your clipboard instantly.
- Paste the copied character into your document, website or message.
- Use the reference tables below if you need the Unicode code point or HTML entity instead.
The two Unicode blocks for musical notation
Unicode stores music symbols in two separate blocks. The older Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600 to U+26FF) contains the familiar single-glyph note signs like โฉ (U+2669), โช (U+266A), โซ (U+266B) and โฌ (U+266C), along with the basic accidental signs โฏ, โญ and โฎ. These render reliably on almost every operating system and font.
The newer Musical Symbols block (U+1D100 to U+1D1FF) holds over two hundred characters used in professional staff notation. This is where you will find specific clefs like ๐ (G clef, U+1D11E) and ๐ข (F clef, U+1D122), individual rest values from whole to one-hundred-twenty-eighth, dynamic markings such as ๐ (piano) and ๐ (forte), ornaments and pedal marks. Because these are supplementary characters above U+FFFF, they require fonts that explicitly support the Musical Symbols block, such as Bravura, Emmentaler or Noto Music.
How to type music symbols on Windows
The simplest method is to copy the symbol from this page. Classic Alt codes do not work for these characters: on default Windows, Alt codes with four or more digits wrap around modulo 256 (for example Alt+9834 would produce a different, unrelated character), so there is no reliable Alt code for โฉ โช โซ โฌ โญ โฎ โฏ.
In Microsoft Word or WordPad, type the hex code point and press Alt+X to convert it. For example, type 266A and press Alt+X for โช, or 1D11E for the G clef ๐. If the hex digits directly follow another hex letter or digit (such as a266A), select just the digits first, or put a space before them. The Win + . panel offers a few music emoji such as ๐ต and ๐ถ, but it does not cover the Musical Symbols block. In other applications, open the Windows Character Map utility, switch to Advanced view, search for "musical" or "note", and copy the glyph.
Typing music symbols on Mac, Linux and the web
On macOS, open the Character Viewer by pressing Control+Command+Space. Search for "note", "clef" or "musical" to browse both blocks. You can also add the Unicode Hex Input keyboard in System Settings under Keyboard, switch to it, then hold Option and type the four-digit hex code for basic symbols (for example 266a for โช). For characters above U+FFFF, Hex Input needs the UTF-16 surrogate pair, so the Character Viewer is easier.
On Linux, press Ctrl+Shift+U, release, type the hexadecimal code point (for example 1d11e), and press Enter or Space. This works in GTK and Qt applications that support full Unicode input.
In HTML, use numeric character references. Decimal format uses the prefix &# followed by the number and a semicolon, like ♪ for โช. Hexadecimal format uses &#x, so the G clef becomes 𝄞. Named entities exist only for the most common ones: ♯ for โฏ, ♭ for โญ and ♮ for โฎ.
Common music symbols reference table
The table below lists the most frequently used music symbols with their exact Unicode code points and HTML decimal entities. Use this when building a music symbols list for a project or when you need to embed characters programmatically.
| Symbol | Name | Code Point | HTML Entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| โฉ | Quarter Note | U+2669 | ♩ |
| โช | Eighth Note | U+266A | ♪ |
| โซ | Beamed Eighth Notes | U+266B | ♫ |
| โฌ | Beamed Sixteenth Notes | U+266C | ♬ |
| โญ | Flat Sign | U+266D | ♭ |
| โฎ | Natural Sign | U+266E | ♮ |
| โฏ | Sharp Sign | U+266F | ♯ |
| ๐ | G Clef (Treble) | U+1D11E | 𝄞 |
| ๐ข | F Clef (Bass) | U+1D122 | 𝄢 |
| ๐ก | C Clef (Alto/Tenor) | U+1D121 | 𝄡 |
Font support and rendering issues
A frequent problem when pasting music symbols into documents or web pages is seeing an empty box or a question mark instead of the intended glyph. This happens when the active font does not contain the requested character. Basic note signs from the Miscellaneous Symbols block are included in most system fonts like Arial, Segoe UI Symbol and Apple Symbols. However, the Musical Symbols block requires specialized fonts.
For web projects, load a font like Bravura Text or Noto Music via CSS @font-face and apply it specifically to elements containing notation. On desktop, install a comprehensive music font and set it as the fallback in your word processor. If you only need decorative note icons rather than precise staff notation, stick to the four basic glyphs (โฉ, โช, โซ, โฌ) which have near-universal support across devices and platforms.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Treble clef note | This input could not be calculated. | |
| Sharp accidental | This input could not be calculated. | |
| Beamed eighth notes | This input could not be calculated. |
FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the eighth note symbol?
The single eighth note โช is U+266A. In HTML you can write it as ♪ or ♪. It belongs to the Miscellaneous Symbols block, so it renders in most standard fonts without extra setup.
How do I type a treble clef on my keyboard?
The treble clef (G clef) is U+1D11E in the Musical Symbols block. In Microsoft Word, type 1D11E and press Alt+X. On Linux, press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 1d11e, then press Enter. You need a font that supports the Musical Symbols block, such as Bravura or Noto Music.
Why do some music symbols show as boxes or question marks?
That means your current font does not include those characters. Basic notes like โฉ and โช work in most fonts, but staff notation symbols from the Musical Symbols block (U+1D100 and above) require specialized fonts. Install a music font or change the font for that specific text.
Are there HTML entity names for music symbols?
Only three have named HTML entities: ♯ for โฏ, ♭ for โญ and ♮ for โฎ. All other music symbols must be referenced using their numeric decimal or hexadecimal code points, such as ♪ for โช.
Can I use these music symbols in social media posts?
Yes. The basic note symbols (โฉ, โช, โซ, โฌ) and accidentals (โฏ, โญ, โฎ) display correctly on most social media platforms because they fall within the widely supported Basic Multilingual Plane. Supplementary characters from the Musical Symbols block may not render on all mobile devices.
What is the difference between โฏ (sharp sign) and # (number sign)?
They are different characters. The sharp sign โฏ is U+266F and has two vertical lines and two slanted horizontal lines designed for musical notation. The number sign # is U+0023, used in programming and everyday text. Using # instead of โฏ is a common typographic mistake in music contexts.