Lesson 3: Sharps and Flats

Here are some examples of items discussed on the previous page:

Recording	Musical Notation	Explanation
		The notes in the diagram, from left, are: A natural, A sharp, A natural, A flat.
		Sharps raise notes a half step. Flats lower notes a half step. A sharp and B flat are the same pitch because A and B are a whole step apart. The notes in the diagram, from left, are: A, A sharp, B flat, B natural. When is the natural sign used?
		This is an A Major scale. In a Major scale, the half steps occur between the 3rd and 4th notes, and the 7th and 8th notes. Notice how sharps are used to raise the notes C, F and G so that the half steps occur in the correct places. The notes in the diagram, from left, are: A, B, C sharp, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A.
		This is a B flat Major scale. Notice how flats are used to lower the notes B and E so that the half steps occur in the correct places. The notes in the diagram, from left, are: B flat, C, D, E flat, F, G, A, B flat.
		This is a C Major scale. Because B and C, and E and F are a half step apart, the half steps are already in the correct places. Therefore, flats and sharps are not needed.

Chromatic scale The above diagram shows a chromatic scale starting on middle C. In this example, sharps are used to notate the 12 half steps in the octave as the scale ascends. As the scale descends, flats are used to notate the same pitches. Can you name the notes in the above diagram? Answer.