Music Theory: 1-3
Accidentals, Key Signature, Flats & Sharps
Vocabulary Terms
Flat: Down a Step
Sharp: Up a Step
Enharmonic: Same note, different name
Key Signature: Default Flats/Sharps
Accidental: Flats and Sharps not in the key signature
Flats and Sharps are symbols that ALTER (change) the note letter that is to be played.
Flat
Sharp
This note, which would normally be a
D, is now a D-Flat. This refers to a
note that is DOWN BELOW D, but
ABOVE C.
This note, which would normally be
an A, is now an A-sharp. This refers to
a note that is UP ABOVE A, but
BELOW B.
© 2016 Joseph Perkins. Lessons May Be Freely Copied/Distributed
Enharmonics
Enharmonics refer to notes that are written differently, but sound the same, similar to how
you pronounce SON the same way as SUN.
Visually, the note on the right looks as if it is higher up than the note on the left, but they are
actually the same sounding note! Recall what a sharp means and what a flat means. A flat is
to go up, and a flat is to go down. F# refers to a note above F and below G. Gb refers to a
note below G and above F. This visual aid should help you understand more clearly:
G
F#
F
#
#
G
Gb
THE SAME
F
Why would they write them two different ways? This will be explained in a later lesson.
Key Signature
A key signature tells you which notes are normally flat or sharp for the piece, and is generally
found at the beginning of the piece. The key signature can also during the piece as well.
In the example above, the flat symbols are placed on the spots where B and E would
normally be. This means that all B’s and E’s are now Bb’s and Eb’s, REGARDLESS of WHICH B
and E it is.
© 2016 Joseph Perkins. Lessons May Be Freely Copied/Distributed
Accidentals
Accidentals are flats and sharps that appear OUTSIDE of the key signature, and only last for 1
measure.
In the above example, the key signature tells us that we have 1 Sharp (#), however, at the
end of this measure, we have a Bb. This Bb flat will ONLY last for this measure. On the next
measure, if a note is placed on the B line, it will be a normal B.
In the example above, there is a Sharp symbol on the F line in the key signature. However,
we have a natural sign as an accidental. This will CANCEL the sharp. The note is now a normal
F.
Flat, Sharp, or Natural?
In the example below, identify whether each note is a FLAT, SHARP, OR NATURAL. TAKE THE
KEY SIGNATURE INTO CONSIDERATION.
___ ___ ___ ____
___ ____ ____ ____
___ ___
___ ____
____ ___ ___ ____
___ ___ ____ ____
___ ____ ____ ____
___ ____ ____ ____
____ ____ ____ ___
___ ___ ____ ____
ANSWERS: G, C, B, F#
A, E, C#, F
C, Ab, A, A#
© 2016 Joseph Perkins. Lessons May Be Freely Copied/Distributed
© 2016 Joseph Perkins. Lessons May Be Freely Copied/Distributed