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Accidentals

Sharps, Flats and Naturals

+Disclaimer Page

We are a TEAM

It is my goal to have 100% of our team understanding these concepts.

If you already know this stuff, pat yourself on the back, and find someone you can help.

Don’t assume you have ALL information, listen with the intention of learning something new.

+Melody review

Melody is a succession of single pitches as we hear as a whole.

A melody goes up, down or remain the same.

The distance between any two pitches of a melody is called an interval

The smallest distance between two notes is a half step or semitone

Two half step equals whole step or tone

+Tones and semitones Let's use the piano keyboard to look at some examples

of semitones.

If two notes are as close as possible on the piano keyboard, the distance between them is a semitone. 

Find E and F next to each other on the piano keyboard.

Is this tone or semitone?

From G to A the distance is tone or semitone?

+Tones and Semitones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmDa7jrWN7g

+Accidentals

In music theory, the term "accidentals" is used to describe some notes which have been slightly altered. Accidentals are the symbols which are placed before the note on the stave - they can be "sharps", "flats" or "naturals".

+SHARPS

signs RAISE a pitch up higher

+Flats

signs LOWERS a pitch

+Natural

+Accidentals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVmulEvotlw

+Enharmonic tones

Did you notice that C# and Db are the same key???

All notes have more than one name. The formal word for this concept is enharmonic tones.

C# and Db are enharmonic tones (on the piano they sound the same, but have different names)

+Diatonic scale

-Take a look at your piano keyboard and find note C (left side of two black keys)

- Name the other keys C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (as we know Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do)

- -This is C major scale or diatonic scale (We’ll talk later about scales)

- On your keyboard find G#

- How many half steps from D to G#?

- How many half steps from F# to Bb?

+For each par of note, point out the one which is higher

+The Rules

Notes of the same letter name, but which occupy different positions on the staff, are not affected by each other’s accidentals.

+The Rules

Accidentals are placed in front of notes and on the same line or space.

Accidentals are placed after letter names.

C#, Fb, etc.

+The Rules

When an accidental has been written, all the other notes which are the same pitch, (or position on the staff), are also affected by the accidental, but only until a barline is drawn

+The Rules

+C Major scale

Using white keys only, a major scale starting on C has no sharps and no flats(diatonic scale)

Look at the keyboard and see that this scale follows the whole step / half step pattern of:

root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step

+Major Scales

C Major Scale:

Important: All major scales follow the same pattern of tones and semi- tones.

Remember: Tone – Tone – Semitone – Tone – Tone – Tone – Semitone

+Reading a Key Signature

2 Ways to read it…

Method # 1 – Know your Note Names

Method # 2 – Memorize the Order of &

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Look at WHERE on the staff the sharp or flat is placed to determine which notes are affected.

• Sharp is placed where the note F is, so all F’s are sharp

• Sharp is placed where the note F is, so all F’s are sharp

Know it by Note Name

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This time with flats…

• Flat is placed where the note B is, so all B’s are flat

• Flat is placed where the note B is, so all B’s are flat

Know it by Note Name

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• Sharps are placed where the notes F, C, & G are, so all F’s, C’s, & G’s are sharp

• Sharps are placed where the notes F, C, & G are, so all F’s, C’s, & G’s are sharp

Flats are placed where the notes B, E, A, & D are, so all B’s, E’s, A’s, & D’s are flat

Flats are placed where the notes B, E, A, & D are, so all B’s, E’s, A’s, & D’s are flat

Know it by Note Name

+Memorize Flats in Order

signs in order: B E A D G C F

“BEAD … Go Catch Fish”

+Or Memorize Sharps in Order

• signs in order: F C G D A E B

“Fat Cows Gaze Dumbly At Every Body”

+They’re Opposites!

The sharps & flats in order are EXACT OPPOSITES! You only really need to memorize one of them!

 

B E A D G C F

F C G D A E B 

+All Possible Sharps and Flats

So here is an example with 7 sharps

And an example with 7 flats

+Key SignaturesAffect ALL OCTAVES

Example - if there is an F# in the key signature, then HIGH F and LOW F will be sharp.

 

+One more example…

All B’s and all E’s are flat.

+Questions?

Worksheet due at end of class

+Circle of 5ths

Used to organize Scales and Key Signatures

+Circle of 5ths

The Letter on the Circle indicates the NAME OF THE SCALE!

+The Scale Name = What KEY You’re Playing In

Notice the notes that are sharp or flat are not the same as the name of the scale – or THE KEY!

+Awesome Tricks to help figure out the name of your Key Signature. For KEYS with SHARPS: Look at your LAST SHARP (the

one farthest right) and go up a half step.

For KEYS with FLATS: Look at your SECOND TO LAST FLAT and that is the NAME of the KEY.

+Questions?

Do you want me to go back and review anything?

Any tricks you know that I didn’t share?

+Practice

Worksheet due at the end of the hour