 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Scott
Date: 2005-06-10 13:31
If I have 6 sharps, is E# played as F natural?
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Scott Beard
Celebration Orchestra
Post Edited (2005-06-14 03:47)
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-06-10 13:52
Yes.
Students often ask why a note is spelled a certain way, a sharp instead of a flat, or in this case, a sharp instead of a natural. It has to do with proper spelling for chords and scales.
In a major (or minor) scale you must have all the letters A through G. In an F# scale you already have a F#. You can’t have two F’s, thus the E#.
You might say that F#/Gb is a sort of rendezvous point for the circle of fifths. The key of F# has six sharps; Gb has six flats.
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-06-10 13:59
PS--
Going through the circle of 5ths, after you add five sharps or five flats there aren't any more black keys on the piano.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-06-10 13:59
Yes and B# becomes C nat, of course likewise Fb becomes E nat as does Cb becomes B nat. This is the result of major scales consisting of 2 "tetrachords", and there my knowledge of music theory comes to an abrupt halt. HELP, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: szyJYM
Date: 2005-06-10 17:41
The whole issue of sharps and flats becomes even more frustrating when we've got double sharps and double flats in key signatures like C#. And even more so once we get into melodic and harmonic minor stuff. Oy.
--Mike
Wide-eyed music student entering college this fall
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