@Stuartw
7 distinct notes in major scale.
17 scale tones (notes if you’re just chatting, not writing precise language) in the CAGED major scale patterns.
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@Richard_close2u Richard to the rescue again! Notes and tones, got it. Thank you. Now, don’t you have more pressing business to attend to? 
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OK, but the note at B/1 can’t logically be a note C if the one at the root is a C because they sound different. Likewise all the F’s can’t be all F as they sound different.
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@Stuartw have you ever looked at all the white keys on a piano? There are only 7 notes C D E F G A B then they repeat. The note names don’t change but the frequency of the sound of the notes change. This is why there is a C on the A string and B string. They are both C (root) notes of the C Major scale but an octave apart.
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Stuart @Stuartw
This where you need to delve into the physics of what is going on, plenty of references on the web why two notes an octave apart sound similar, one simple explanation is below
Michael
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@MAT1953 has mentioned this already.
Doubling and halving is the logical arithmetic here.
The note we call C at fret 2 of the 5th string has a frequency of 130.8128Hz.
The note we call C at fret 2 of the 2nd string has a frequency of 261.6256Hz.
130.8128 x 2 = 261.6256
the note at B/1 can’t … be a note C if the one at the root is a C because they sound different …
They do sound different. Absolutely, categorically, unequivocally different. They sound different because they are at different frequencies. They are both called C because one of the rudimentary foundations of all western music is that octave tones are given the same letter name.
There is a way of distinguishing them from each other. It is the method of assigning octave tones a letter name with a numeric suffix.
Here is an 88-key piano with two of the notes picked out in colour.
There are eight sets of notes grouped together. Approximately eight octave sets. Sets one to seven inclusive are complete sets. Set zero and set eight are partial sets because there are insufficient keys to complete them.
Complete sets all start with the note / tone called C. Think of these complete sets as one circumnavigation around the Note Circle.
The cyan shows what is called ‘Middle C’ - because, roughly speaking, it is in the middle of the keyboard physically. Middle C is the first note of the fourth set. It is therefore, logically, called C4.
That is a universal convention. Middle C is called C4.
The yellow shows a note A whose frequency is 440Hz. Have you have heard of concert pitch A440 tuning? Some guitar tuners have this marked on them. It is the universally used baseline frequency for tuning instruments so they are in tune with one another. Electronic guitar tuners would use this by default. It is not the only possible tuning system but we continue without exploring that concept.
Hopefully you will be able to connect things together and make the small leap to know that the octave tone A above that shown yellow has a frequency of 880Hz and the one below has a frequency of 220Hz.
Within the C major scale at open position, the Middle C, called C4 remember, is found at fret 1 of the 2nd string. Which means the lowest root note of the scale pattern is the one an octave lower than C4. That particular scale pattern extends below and above those octaves (from E below the lowest octave to G above the highest octave).
All notes of that scale are shown on this diagram.
The scale runs (from lowest tone to highest tone) from E2 up to G4.
The root note at fret 3 of the 5th string is C3.
The root note at fret 1 of the 2nd string is C4.
Both of those root notes are called C.
That they sound different is certain.
But, if truly needed, there is a way of naming them differently so as to distinguish one from the other.
I hope that helps.
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To be honest no.
OK. I had to google octave as not sure what it meant (Thanks @MAT1953 for the screenshot). I originally thought that an octave was 12no. frets up the neck! Is that also an octave?
Essentially we have to accept that 2 notes that sound different have the same letter Doesn’t really make logical sense but who am I to argue with western music theory.
@Stuartw
Hi Stuart
Richard and Michael have given you the theoretical explanations of how it works but there’s a way you can test it on guitar.
Play the open 3rd string then play the 1st string 3rd fret.
Those are both G notes, one octave apart.
To me they sound different yet the same. Different because one is higher than the other. The same because they sound very much alike.
You say they just sound different.
Now play the two notes together. Mute the 2nd string with your fretting finger. Strum across the strings like a chord.
Can you hear that although you’re playing two notes, it almost sounds like just one note?
Now do the same thing except this time play the 1st fret of the high e string and the open G
The two notes won’t sound anything like the same note at all.
You can do this all the way up the neck. Try the open G with every fret on the high e.
Only the G on the 3rd fret and the G on the 15th fret will sound almost like the same note.
Give it a whizz and let us know what you hear.
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Stuart @Stuartw
If you don’t mind me saying you sound a bit like me at the beginning of last year when I started my guitar journey, my knowledge of music theory was zero, never had a music lesson in my life. Ok I knew the notes on lines of a stave, a bit of general knowledge, but what the notes were in the spaces, I hadn’t a clue.
I am inquisitive and the sort of person that needs to why I am doing something which is why I started on Justin’s Theory Course early on and it has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I probably at the position of a little knowledge being dangerous. Has it helped me strum better, probably not, but all the other things about playing the guitar, it certainly has.
If you have not had a look at Justin’s Theory Course I would encourage you to do so.
Michael
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An octave is 12 semitones higher than the root note - the equivalent of going all the way around the Note Circle and back to the same note.
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Perhaps we were typing at the same time and you missed my post - which includes a keyboard.
Take a look at the repetition of it.
Start at C1.
White C
Black C# / Db
White D
Black D# / Eb
White E
White F
Black F# / Gb
White G
Black G# / Ab
White A
Black A# / Bb
White B
White C … where the pattern starts again.
Over and over for each and every 12 notes.
The C major scale does not use any black keys.
Stuart must be a subscriber to have received an invite to the live class.
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There is a logic to it. You just aren’t seeing (or, really, hearing) it yet.
Imagine if we had separate names for every single note that existed. Even if we limited it to a piano keyboard (and there are far more notes than that) we would have 88 individual note names.
Not only don’t we have enough letters in the alphabet, but there would be no relationship between any of the note names, which would make learning music a nightmare!
Now, that would be illogical.
As @Richard_close2u has pointed out, if you want to get really picky, then you can use the octave numbers to differentiate between C notes at different pitches: C1, C2, C3, and so on. We don’t do this in general because in most case it’s either obvious which C we are talking about, or it doesn’t matter.
And, no, they don’t sound identical, but there is an extremely strong relationship between the C notes: in music, all C notes perform the same function, which is why they are all called “C”.
For example: there’s lots of ways to play a C chord on a guitar. When a song’s harmony contains a C chord, you have a choice of C chords you can play and they will mostly sound different from each other, but they will all sound perfectly good. If you play any other chord, it will sound wrong.
That’s because, regardless of the octave they are in, the notes with the same note names perform the same function in music, which is why it’s totally logical to give them the same name.
Cheers,
Keith
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Well that turned out to be a strange old day. After a good walk round the grounds of our local Natural Trust place we came home for my missus then to go A over T in our hall and spend the net few hours in A and E. She’s OK but bruised and in pain!
I did see your post and hadn’t processed all the information provided.
I now understand about the frequency thing with that are an octave above/below have half/double the frequency and for convention have the same name, but sound different.
No but having checked it shows on my guitar tuner.
As noted by @Richard_close2u I have subscribed to the PMT course and have competed module 3, but not really got much further.
Agreed, and can see (now) the logic of not naming everything If you don’t ask you don’t find out!
Noted but at this point I don’t know that many and guessing that there are loads that I don’t know or will ever know or use.
I see that now.
Thanks to all who took the time to respond to my questions. Appreciated and you learn something new everyday.
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Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that Stuart. I hope she mends quickly!
On another note - what an informative conversation you instigated. Thank you. 
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Stuart, sorry to hear about your wife’s fall. All the best for a speedy recovery!
Stuart, Sorry to hear about your wife, hope she gets well soon. Well done for asking the question and starting the topic. That’s the beauty of this group, you can ask and people will try different ways of explaining it so that, hopefully, one or a selection of answers helps answer it for you.
I hope your wife is ok! It took me a minute to get what “A over T” and “A and E” meant, nice one there, but sorry for your wife. For a moment I thought that when she went A over T you went and worked on the A and E cords!
I have an app that show all fingerings for C maj, then for all the other variations on the C cord and all there possible fingerings. Like a cord encyclopedia. Mind boggling for sure. Makes me scream “too many” and run away.
For now, I don’t even worry about it. It is interesting to know they all exist, but I am learning cords and variations as they show up in songs only, right now. Every so often I will think that I should pick a few different cords for my standard progression that I use for right hand technique/strumming practice. But, I haven’t yet…
You’re spending way too much time overseas Keith !
@Stuartw Hope the missis is ok and a recovers pqd !
