diff --git a/docs/examples/sources.ipynb b/docs/examples/sources.ipynb
index 14d3418..9b9f9a0 100644
--- a/docs/examples/sources.ipynb
+++ b/docs/examples/sources.ipynb
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "from pyabc2.note import _RE_NOTE as rx\n",
+    "from pyabc2.note import RE_NOTE as rx\n",
     "\n",
     "rx"
    ]
diff --git a/pyabc2/note.py b/pyabc2/note.py
index 3fa990b..3f67f61 100644
--- a/pyabc2/note.py
+++ b/pyabc2/note.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     r"(?P<slash>/+)?"
     r"(?P<den>[0-9]+)?"
 )
-_RE_NOTE = re.compile(_S_RE_NOTE)
+RE_NOTE = re.compile(_S_RE_NOTE)
 
 
 _ACCIDENTAL_ASCII_TO_ABC = {"#": "^", "b": "_", "=": "="}
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def from_abc(
 
         but this can be adjusted using the keyword arguments.
         """
-        m = _RE_NOTE.match(abc)
+        m = RE_NOTE.match(abc)
         return cls._from_abc_match(m, key=key, octave_base=octave_base, unit_duration=unit_duration)
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/pyabc2/parse.py b/pyabc2/parse.py
index e399f7a..cefa0fc 100644
--- a/pyabc2/parse.py
+++ b/pyabc2/parse.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from typing import Dict, Iterator, List, NamedTuple, Optional
 
 from .key import Key
-from .note import _RE_NOTE, Note
+from .note import RE_NOTE, Note
 
 
 class InfoField(NamedTuple):
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def _find_first_chord(s: str) -> Optional[str]:
     # NOTE: did see some single notes inside `[]` in The Session data
     c = m.group()
     assert c.startswith("[") and c.endswith("]")
-    n = len(_RE_NOTE.findall(c))  # TODO: maybe just letter count would be suff.
+    n = len(RE_NOTE.findall(c))  # TODO: maybe just letter count would be suff.
     if n >= 2:
         return c
     else:
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ def _extract_measures(self, tune_lines: List[str]) -> None:
                     # https://abcnotation.com/wiki/abc:standard:v2.1#broken_rhythm
 
                     # 3. In note group, find notes
-                    for m_note in _RE_NOTE.finditer(note_group):
+                    for m_note in RE_NOTE.finditer(note_group):
                         # TODO: parse/store rests, maybe have an additional iterator for "rhythmic elements" or something
 
                         if m_note is None:
diff --git a/pyabc2/pitch.py b/pyabc2/pitch.py
index 1fb6a66..a105530 100644
--- a/pyabc2/pitch.py
+++ b/pyabc2/pitch.py
@@ -61,10 +61,17 @@ def _gen_pitch_values() -> Dict[str, int]:
 
 _S_RE_ASCII_ACCIDENTALS = r"(?:##|bb|b|#|=)"
 _S_RE_PITCH_CLASS = rf"[A-G]{_S_RE_ASCII_ACCIDENTALS}?"
-_S_RE_LOWER_PITCH_CLASS = rf"[a-g]{_S_RE_ASCII_ACCIDENTALS}?"
-_RE_PITCH_CLASS = re.compile(_S_RE_PITCH_CLASS)
 # _S_RE_PITCH_CLASS_ONE_ACC = r"[A-G][\#|b]?"
-_RE_PITCH = re.compile(rf"(?P<pitch_class>{_S_RE_PITCH_CLASS})" r"\s*" r"(?P<octave>[0-9]+)")
+_S_RE_LOWER_PITCH_CLASS = rf"[a-g]{_S_RE_ASCII_ACCIDENTALS}?"
+RE_PITCH_CLASS = re.compile(_S_RE_PITCH_CLASS)
+
+# fmt: off
+RE_PITCH = re.compile(
+    rf"(?P<pitch_class>{_S_RE_PITCH_CLASS})"
+    r"\s*"
+    r"(?P<octave>[0-9]+)"
+)
+# fmt: on
 
 
 def pitch_class_value(pitch: str, root: str = "C", *, mod: bool = False) -> int:
@@ -73,9 +80,9 @@ def pitch_class_value(pitch: str, root: str = "C", *, mod: bool = False) -> int:
     """
     pitch = pitch.strip()
 
-    if not _RE_PITCH_CLASS.fullmatch(pitch):
+    if not RE_PITCH_CLASS.fullmatch(pitch):
         raise ValueError(
-            f"invalid pitch class specification '{pitch}'; Should match '{_RE_PITCH_CLASS.pattern}'"
+            f"invalid pitch class specification '{pitch}'; Should match '{RE_PITCH_CLASS.pattern}'"
         )
 
     # Base value
@@ -648,7 +655,7 @@ def from_name(cls, name: str) -> "Pitch":
         """
         name = name.strip()
 
-        m = _RE_PITCH.fullmatch(name)
+        m = RE_PITCH.fullmatch(name)
         if m is None:
             raise ValueError(f"invalid pitch name '{name}'")