diff --git a/packages/core/util.mjs b/packages/core/util.mjs
index 3bad9199..c2b1fcdb 100644
--- a/packages/core/util.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/util.mjs
@@ -18,14 +18,17 @@ export const tokenizeNote = (note) => {
   return [pc, acc, oct ? Number(oct) : undefined];
 };
 
+const chromas = { c: 0, d: 2, e: 4, f: 5, g: 7, a: 9, b: 11 };
+const accs = { '#': 1, b: -1, s: 1, f: -1 };
+
 // turns the given note into its midi number representation
-export const noteToMidi = (note) => {
-  const [pc, acc, oct = 3] = tokenizeNote(note);
+export const noteToMidi = (note, defaultOctave = 3) => {
+  const [pc, acc, oct = defaultOctave] = tokenizeNote(note);
   if (!pc) {
     throw new Error('not a note: "' + note + '"');
   }
-  const chroma = { c: 0, d: 2, e: 4, f: 5, g: 7, a: 9, b: 11 }[pc.toLowerCase()];
-  const offset = acc?.split('').reduce((o, char) => o + { '#': 1, b: -1, s: 1, f: -1 }[char], 0) || 0;
+  const chroma = chromas[pc.toLowerCase()];
+  const offset = acc?.split('').reduce((o, char) => o + accs[char], 0) || 0;
   return (Number(oct) + 1) * 12 + chroma + offset;
 };
 export const midiToFreq = (n) => {