Accidentals and enharmonics
Sharps, flats and naturals raise or lower a note by a half step; two different names can sound the same.
Applied
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Sharps, flats and naturals raise or lower a note by a half step; two different names can sound the same.
Applied
Accidentals change the pitch of a natural note. A sharp (♯) raises it a half step, a flat (♭) lowers it a half step, and a natural sign (♮) cancels any earlier accidental. They give you the five notes that sit between the seven naturals.
A natural note, its sharp, and back to natural:
A natural note and its flat:
And two names for the same sound. Listen: there's no difference:
On the guitar, moving up one fret adds a sharp and moving down one adds a flat. The 2nd fret of the third string is A; the 3rd fret can be called A♯ or B♭:
String 6, Fret 6: B♭2 · 1 · Root
| Accidental | Symbol | Effect | Frets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp | ♯ | up a half step | +1 |
| Flat | ♭ | down a half step | −1 |
| Double sharp | 𝄪 | up a whole step | +2 |
| Double flat | 𝄫 | down a whole step | −2 |
| Natural | ♮ | back to the natural note | — |
Measure the distance between notes that are spelled differently even though they're equally far apart. Try C to F♯, then C to G♭:
From C to F♯ From C to G♭The number of half steps is the same (six), but the interval's name changes.
Two notes are enharmonic when they sound the same but are spelled differently: C♯ and D♭, F♯ and G♭. There are even enharmonics among notes that look natural: E♯ sounds like F and C♭ like B, because those pairs are only a half step apart.
Why not always use the same name? Because each scale uses every letter once. D major is D, E, F♯, G, A, B and C♯. Write G♭ instead of F♯ and you'd have two G letters and no F. Chords work the same way: the third of D is F♯, not G♭.
In notation, an accidental written inside a measure applies to that note, in that octave, until the barline. A key's permanent accidentals go in the key signature, at the start of every staff.
A handy rule: when rising chromatically, use sharps; when falling, use flats. But the key always wins: in F major the fourth degree is B♭, never A♯. When you read a chord symbol like B♭ or F♯m, respect the spelling: it tells you which key is around it.
Ear & improvisationFind the noteHear a note and find it on the guitar without looking.Double accidentals appear to keep the one-letter-per-degree rule. In G♯ harmonic minor the seventh degree is F𝄪, which sounds like G, because the scale already has a note with the letter G. In D♭ minor you'd meet B𝄫, which sounds like A.
Outside equal temperament, enharmonic notes aren't always identical: in just intonation or meantone tuning, a sharp and its neighbouring flat can differ by several cents.