Lost in Translation: A,B,C or Doh, Re, Mi?

Music is an international language. Or is it? From the point of view of reading the notes and playing what you see it doesn't matter what language you speak, but In case you are not aware of the English/French systems and are thinking about learning a musical instrument in one language or the other it could be useful to take on board some of the musical vocabulary you will come across.

To begin with , the names of the notes:

English:           C     D     E     F    G     A     B    C
French:         Doh  Re   Mi    Fa   Sol   La   Si   Doh


Here are some note values and other commonly used terms (English then French):

Crotchet = Noir, Minim = Blanc, quaver = croche, semi-quaver = double-croche, flat = bémol, sharp = diese, bar = mesure, repeat = bis, up-beat = levée, 1st-time bar = premier portail, 2nd-time bar = deuxieme portail and so on.

Particularly confusing are crotchet and croche, which are NOT the same thing but terribly muddling if you are thinking in English and taking part in a French orchestra. Of course the french word 'crochet' means hook, and the note in question has a hook on its stem, so the French do have logic on their side.
Say to yourself 'C' then 'Si', then imagine the mental gymnastics when you are asked to play 'Si bémol a l'oreille' (B flat to the ear, in other words C if you play a transposing instrument which is in B flat). Your Conductor is the Chef, and if you want to know which bar he's instructing you to start from you had better know your chiffres, otherwise when he lifts his baton to start from bar "deux-cent quatre-vingt seize" or "soixante dix-huit, le levée" you may find yourself still scratching your head while all your French compatriots have pretty well reached the end of the work.

If you sing in a chorale you must listen very carefully, if not you could find that you are the only one who stands up while everyone else is simply about to start from the beginning. Or vice versa. The two expressions are: debut (beginning) and debout (stand-up). At least if you hear "debut debout" you know you''re safe to do both. Let's not digress too far into my confusion when I hear dessus or dessous because it sends my children into a state of despair. The young growing up in both languages have a great advantage over some of their parents whose ears, whether musical or not, may never become accustomed to some of these subtleties.

The good news is, however, that the majority of tempo and dynamic markings are Italian so speakers of either French or English who have had any musical training will understand 'allegro', 'andante', 'forte' and 'piano' etc. Bon courage.