The accidentals
Now let's get the secret of the black keys out in the open.
Every space in our staff system is already occupied. And we also know the note names. And we know that the black keys are spaced one half tone from the white keys.
We will refer the note names of the black keys to an adjacent white key.
Example: The black key between C and D can be referred to C (one half tone above C) or to D (one half tone below D).
We use 2 symbols to express this in the staff notation system:
- # (sharp) for the increase by one half tone and
- b (flat), for the reduction by one half tone.
The note name is appended a "sharp" when the # is used, so C becomes C sharp (C#).
A "flat" is appended when a b is used, so D becomes D flat (Db).
So far we have learnt that every black key can be named with two note names. We now have note names for all 12 notes – and for the black keys we even have two names.
The increases and reductions can, however, be applied to all notes, or even doubled if required.
For instance:
Here is an overview of all notes increased with a sharp. It is the same note as F, but not the same written note. This means: You cannot hear the difference between E sharp (E#) and F. The difference only exists on the music sheet. The same is true of B sharp (B#) and C.
And now the overview of the notes reduced with a b. E is now the same note here as F flat (Fb), and B is the same note as C flat (Cb).
Every "normal" person would naturally search for the sense behind this "chicanery".
This is, however, a little difficult to explain with our current course progress – but there is a logical system behind the whole story. To meaningfully describe all scales, chord sequences and logical correlations, it is sometimes necessary to call E F flat (E = Fb) and E sharp F (E# = F), and so on.
I will occasionally address this again in the following sections. But don't panic, these notes do not come up so often.
It is exactly the same with the double accidentals.
If anyone feels this is a bit too much at this point, they can skip to the next section if the want to, and read the last paragraph later.
Nor is it absolutely necessary to get intensively to grips with the double accidentals – if you stumble across one, essentially you should just know the note when you play it on your instrument.
Here are the overviews once again:
A double sharp is written before the notes (looks like an "x") and the "double sharp" syllable is added.
Two bs (double b) are written before the notes and the "double flat" syllable is added.
Here's a little exception as well:
Look at that! You've made it to the end. Now you'll never be frightened by "accidentals" again.
