Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

To alter these we typically use the terms flat (or diminished), sharp (or augmented).

To confuse matters, the lowered or flat 2nd is occasionally referred to as minor or diminished.

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this just sounds like the same phenomena in etymology...

Popular misuse corrupting the vocabulary...

Like most people saying "sarcasm" when what they mean is "fascetious"

(Sarcasm - derivitive of chasm - implies an attitude of contempt)

I mean... so what happens when you have an F# diminished Chord?[br]or a Bb augmented?[br][br]It seems like using sharp and augmented interchangeably is just silly.[br]They're NOT the same thing.[br][br]So basically what i'm hearing is that flat being a matter of pitch doesn't really have any place in talking about scale degrees...

but because it's just common to say b5... that's what it's called.

[quote=ChristopherSchlegel]

Some of this had to do with measuring the halfstep between other scale degrees. For example, the distance between the 2nd & major 3rd is a whole step or a major second, but the distance between the major 3rd & 4th is a halfstep or a minor second.

yeah but that's all just a matter of perspective relative to where you coming from... right? How's that justify calling a scale degree flat/sharp?

Scale degrees change relative to position;

like a m6 in relation to a 4th; is also a m3 in relation to a 1

but pitch is absolute.

it's an accidental regardless of whether it's a 5, m7, sus4... or whatever

right?