Flat or Sharp


chrispike306
Registered User
Joined: 07/23/17
Posts: 27
chrispike306
Registered User
Joined: 07/23/17
Posts: 27
02/12/2018 2:49 pm

Really random one from my brain.

Doing minor scales using the pattern in "Lets streamline the major scales"

I thought to myself "This is a good time to do fretboard note stuff too."

I started naming them to myself, G, A AsharpC D Esharp F G

I then looked at wikipedia to check I had remembered correctly, but instead of Asharp, it was Bflat.

Any particular reason for that?


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,346
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,346
02/12/2018 4:17 pm
Originally Posted by: chrispike306

I then looked at wikipedia to check I had remembered correctly, but instead of Asharp, it was Bflat.

Any particular reason for that?

This tutorial covers natural & accidental notes & how the musical alphabet is organized on the guitar fretboard.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1136

The answer to your question is that A-sharp is B-flat. They are the same note, with 2 different names. The musical term for that is enharmonic.

The reason for 2 different possibles names for accidentals (sharps & flats) is one of perceptual convenience & conceptual clarity. Whether we call a note sharp or flat depends on the musical context of the song being played.

The default setting of naming a scale or key signature is to only use each letter once if possible. So, the key of G major has one sharp on F.

G - A - B - C - D - E - F#

Rather than:

G - A- B - C - D - E - Gb

That would be 2 letter Gs & potentially confusing in music notation. Once we get into music with 3, 4 or more sharps or flats things really get out of hand. So, when possible, we make all of the accidentals either sharp or flat.

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
chrispike306
Registered User
Joined: 07/23/17
Posts: 27
chrispike306
Registered User
Joined: 07/23/17
Posts: 27
02/12/2018 5:15 pm
Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel
Originally Posted by: chrispike306

I then looked at wikipedia to check I had remembered correctly, but instead of Asharp, it was Bflat.

Any particular reason for that?

This tutorial covers natural & accidental notes & how the musical alphabet is organized on the guitar fretboard.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1136

The answer to your question is that A-sharp is B-flat. They are the same note, with 2 different names. The musical term for that is enharmonic.

The reason for 2 different possibles names for accidentals (sharps & flats) is one of perceptual convenience & conceptual clarity. Whether we call a note sharp or flat depends on the musical context of the song being played.

The default setting of naming a scale or key signature is to only use each letter once if possible. So, the key of G major has one sharp on F.

G - A - B - C - D - E - F#

Rather than:

G - A- B - C - D - E - Gb

That would be 2 letter Gs & potentially confusing in music notation. Once we get into music with 3, 4 or more sharps or flats things really get out of hand. So, when possible, we make all of the accidentals either sharp or flat.

Hope that helps!

It helps! I understand now. I thought there'd be a sensible common sense answer to it!

Thank you so much. Is there anything you don't know!


# 3

Please register with a free account to post on the forum.