Interchanging Sharps and Flats
Looking at the Chromatic Scale below we can see that labbelling sharps and flats can be interchangeable.
- A♯ = B♭
- C♯ = D♭
- D♯ = E♭
- F♯ = G♭
- G♯ = A♭
The Music Notes
Western tempered music is made up of the division of 12 notes. These 12 notes are made up of two note types: naturals and accidentals.
Natural Notes
Section titled “Natural Notes”There are 7 natural notes in music and happen to be the first seven letters in the English alphabet.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Accidental Notes (Sharps and Flats)
Section titled “Accidental Notes (Sharps and Flats)”There are two types of 5 accidentals: sharps (♯) and flats (♭). Accidentals are found between the natural notes with the exception of B-C and E-F.
Sharps ♯
Section titled “Sharps ♯”A♯
C♯
D♯
F♯
G♯
Flats ♭
Section titled “Flats ♭”A♭
B♭
D♭
E♭
G♭
The Chromatic Scale
Section titled “The Chromatic Scale”The Chromatic Scale combines both natural and accidental note types to map out 12 notes. Depending on the key signature we think of the chromatic scale as either containing sharps or flats (not both).
Using Sharps
Section titled “Using Sharps”A
A♯
B
C
C♯
D
D♯
E
F
F♯
G
G♯
Using Flats
Section titled “Using Flats”A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭