Accidentals are Music symbols that change the Pitch of a Note and include Sharps, Flats, Natural Signs, Double Sharps and Double Flats. Each type of Accidental can either raise or lower a note by a specific distance or amount known in music as an Interval.
Sharp raises a note by 1 semitone.
Flat lowers a note by 1 semitone.
Natural cancels an accidental.
Double Sharp raises a note by 2 semitones or 1 Whole Tone.
Double Flat lowers a note by 2 semitones or 1 Whole Tone.
In Music the smallest distance between any 2 Notes is known as a Semitone and can be seen on a keyboard as one key to the next or on a guitar as one fret to the next. Two semitones are called a Whole Tone and usually occur when a Double Sharp or Double Flat are used.
Piano - Sharps and Flats
Guitar Fretboard - Sharps
Guitar Fretboard - Flats
LEFT Handed Guitar Fretboard - Sharps
LEFT Handed Guitar Handed Fretboard - Flats
When you look at the Piano black keys, they don't have their
own names so they have to borrow from the White keys nearest to them.
Notice that the piano doesn't always have a black key between 2 white keys the same as some frets on the Guitar? Specifically the notes B-C and E-F on the Piano don't have a Black key between them. The same principle applies to the Guitar and all other instruments.
RIGHT Handed Guitar
LEFT Handed Guitar
Earlier you saw on the Piano that the black key notes can have 2 names, for example C# and Db are the exact same piano key. The same concept applies to B, C, E and F since B & Cb or B# & C are the same note on instruments. This is called an Enharmonic Equivalent. You can also see that when we add Double Flats or Double Sharps any Note, Piano Key or Guitar Fret can have several names. Since the same principle applies to the Guitar, this further shows you that Music Theory is universal and can be applied to All Instruments.
Enharmonic Equivalents
When a semitone has 2 notes with the Same letter name, it is called a Chromatic Semitone.
Video Player Option with Music Score and Piano Playback
Right-Hand Fretboard Video Playback:
Left-Hand Fretboard Video Playback only:
When a semitone has 2 notes with Different letter names, it is called a Diatonic Semitone. It is easy to remember since Diatonic and Different both start with the letter D.
Video Player Option with Music Score and Piano Playback
raises a note by 1 semitone.
lowers a note by 1 semitone.
cancels an accidental.
raises a note by 2 semitones or 1 Whole Tone.
lowers a note by 2 semitones or 1 Whole Tone.
