Note

A Note (also known as a musical note from the Prima Guide for Super Mario 3D Land or  a Rainbow Note) is a multicolored  item with eight notes that that first appear in Super Mario Galaxy. They will usually appear when Mario grabs a ? Coin, although the ones in Gold Leaf Galaxy appear if Mario rings a bell with the Star Cursor. Afterwards, they will line up, and Mario will need to grab all of them. The background music also mutes when the notes are activated. Each note makes a different sound and together forms a short jingle or tune, typically from another game in the Mario franchise. If the player gets every note, Mario will get a prize, such as a 1-Up Mushroom. The notes are also used in a few levels where they need to be collected to get a Power Star, such as the Hurry-Scurry Galaxy, the Gold Leaf Galaxy, and the Sea Slide Galaxy.

Notes also reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They appear in Throwback Galaxy, Boo Moon Galaxy and in Puzzle Plank Galaxy and have the same function as in the first game.

They appear in Super Mario 3D Land as well with a similar purpose, activated by a P Switch. If all of the notes are collected, Mario can earn a power-up if he is in either Small or Super form; otherwise, he earns a 1-Up Mushroom.

In Super Mario Odyssey, notes or rainbow notes reappear. They are much more common and are activated by a rainbow-colored, though each set only plays the chromatic scale rather than a melody. Collecting all of the notes in a set reveals a Power Moon.

Themes played by notes

 * The (Not heard in Super Mario 3D Land)
 * Super Mario Bros. underground theme (Super Mario Galaxy games only)
 * Super Mario Bros. underwater theme (Super Mario Galaxy games and Super Mario 3D Land only)
 * Super Mario World bonus area theme (Super Mario Galaxy games and Super Mario 3D Land only)
 * First few notes of the Super Mario Bros. 3 athletic theme (Super Mario 3D Land only)