SHARPS AND FLATS
A sharp note is one which is half a tone higher than the same natural note and a flat note is one that is half a tone lower than the natural notes. Have a look at this diagram of one octave on a piano.
The white keys are the natural notes and the black notes are the accidentals i.e. sharps and flats. You will see that the black note to the right of C is C sharp that is because it is half a tone higher in pitch than a C. However the same note is also Db as it is the black note to the left of D and is half a tone lower than a D.
It is quite obvious when you look at it like that they are the same note, but with two possible names. That is because C and D are a tone apart and so half a tone down from D and up from C meets in the middle.
You can also have an E sharp for example but as there is no black note between E and F that shows that those two natural notes are already only half a tone apart. So E sharp is in fact F natural, but it is not often written that way. Mostly it will simply be written as an F.
It is quite obvious when you look at it like that they are the same note, but with two possible names. That is because C and D are a tone apart and so half a tone down from D and up from C meets in the middle.
You can also have an E sharp for example but as there is no black note between E and F that shows that those two natural notes are already only half a tone apart. So E sharp is in fact F natural, but it is not often written that way. Mostly it will simply be written as an F.
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