Note pitches can be modified by using accidentals:
Accidental | Name | Effect |
---|---|---|
sharp | Raises the note 1 half step | |
flat | Lowers the note 1 half step | |
double sharp | Raises the note 2 half steps or 1 whole step | |
double flat | Lowers the note 2 half steps or 1 whole step | |
natural | Cancels any previous accidental |
In music notation, an accidental affects every note of the same name, in the same voice and in the same octave within a bar. In the following example, the last G note is sharp (we would have to add a natural sign if we wanted it to be natural):
For more information on accidentals and their relationship to the piano, see whole and half steps.
See Reading Music in the Tutorials section.