The exception is the key of C major which is neither a sharp nor a flat key. A note could be called either D# or E♭ depending upon the key in which it appears.Īlmost all western music is segmented into categories of flat keys and sharp keys. However, if you want to examine the case from the perspective of music theory, you might notice some differences. Even a person with so-called “perfect pitch” would be unable to distinguish a difference between the sounds because they are the same. Accordingly, if a musician wanted to play both D# and E♭ in the fourth octave, they would have to strike the same piano key. That’s because they both have sound waves that vibrate at a frequency of 311.13 Hz.

From an acoustic standpoint, these two notes are identical.

Musicians and instructors may view accidentals from an acoustic standpoint or from the perspective of music theory.Īs an example, consider the fourth octave on the piano. Accidentalsīoth sharp notes and flat notes may be labeled as “accidentals.” This means that they are alterations to natural notes. When a sharp or flat is needed, it is notated with a # for a sharp or with a ♭ for a flat.įrequently, the white keys on the piano are referred to as the natural notes while sharps and flats are the black keys. These notes are named with the familiar letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. If a note needs to be flattened, the musician simply moves one key to the left, again without regard to whether the key is black or white.Ī note that is neither sharpened nor flattened is known as a “natural” note. The key may be black or white, the musician merely plays the adjacent one. When a note needs to be sharpened, the pianist does so by moving up one key to the right. The lowest notes are found on the left side of the keyboard while the highest are on the right. Perhaps the easiest way to see sharps and flats is to look at the keyboard of a piano. When a note is flattened, it goes a semitone lower. While the sharp note goes up, the flat note goes down.Īccordingly, when a note is sharpened, it is raised by a half-step, otherwise called a semitone. To put it simply, sharp notes and flat notes are opposites.

New music students frequently are confused when their instructors use terms like “sharp” and “flat.” What exactly are they talking about?

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