Sharps and flats

Home Up All notes Sharps and flats  

The sharp has its own symbol and that symbol is (#). The flat also has its own symbol and it is (). 

There are no sharps # or flats (b) in the key of C. If you were sitting at the piano, all the white keys make up the key of C. The black keys are the sharps and flats that make up other Major keys. Now I would like to explain the sharp and flat notes and where they're located. 

Take a look at the image below and notice the notes along the Low E string. Of course the first note will be the open Low E string which is the thickest string. Moving along the string, the next note is the F note on the first fret. Look below and find the F note. One half step or 1 fret from the F note will be the F# at the second fret. So you have now learned that one half step is 1 fret away from the next note and 1 whole step is two frets away. Example, the F note is one whole step away from the G note. The F note is one half step away from the F#. Sharps are determined by the arrow. Moving in the way of the arrow is ascending and you would have sharps as illustrated.  

One half step from the F# is the G note at the 3rd fret. Look above and notice that G note. The next note is the G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#,and E. After the E note at the 12th fret the notes repeat. Remember me telling you in the earlier lessons that all notes repeat after 12 frets?

Look at the image below and notice the notes are now flats. Moving in the way of this arrow is descending and you would have flats.

Look at the image above and notice the flats are illustrated. See which way the arrow is pointing. This determines that you will have flats. Please don't let this confuse you. Look at the G flat or second fret above. That G flat is the same note as the F#. Look at the upper image at the second fret and notice the F#. The A flat is the same note as the G#. They're either sharps ascending of flats descending. No big deal. The most important thing to know is, each note is one half step away from each other or 1 fret. And one whole step is two frets apart.  Look Below.

Look at the notes on the Low E string. The G note on the 3rd fret is one whole step away from the F and the A note. The B note is one whole step away from the A note, but one half step away from the C note. The F note is one half step away from the E note, but one whole step away from the G note.

This information is very important and should be studied.

You may want to make a copy of these illustrations to complete your first assignment.
Back to lesson 1

Good Luck,

From the Jam Room