Accidentals

Music theory about accidentals. Learn all about different kinds of accidentals (flat, sharp, natural) and all the rules about accidentals in music scores.

Different kinds of accidentals

An accidental is a sign to raise or to lower the pitch of a music note.

Below are the most common accidentals:

When added to a note, a sharp (♯) raises the note by a half step (semitone ).

When added to a note, a flat (♭) lowers the note by a half step.

When added to a note, a natural (♮) cancels the previous accidentals.

When added to a note, a double sharp raises the note by two half steps.

When added to a note, a double flat lowers the note by two half steps.

Recapitulation:

	+ 1 half step
	- 1 half step
	cancel
	+ 2 half steps
	- 2 half steps

Accidentals on a piano keyboard

To visualize accidentals, here are accidentals on a piano keyboard:

Sharps on a piano keyboard:


Flats on a piano keyboard:



With this piano keyboard you can notice that:

• C♯ (C sharp) has the same key as D♭ (D flat)
• D♯ (D sharp) has the same key as E♭ (E flat)
• F♯ (F sharp) has the same key as G♭ (G flat)
• G♯ (G sharp) has the same key as A♭ (A flat)
• A♯ (A sharp) has the same key as B♭ (B flat)

As there is only 1 half step between E and F:

• E♯ (E sharp) has the same key as F
• F♭ (F flat) has the same key as E

As there is only 1 half step between B and C:

• B♯ (B sharp) has the same key as C
• C♭ (C flat) has the same key as B

And notice some examples with double sharps and double flats:

• C♯♯ (C double sharp) has the same key as D
• A♭♭ (A double flat) has the same key as G
• E♯♯ (E double sharp) has the same key as F♯ (F sharp)) or G♭ (G flat)

Accidentals in music score

Accidentals are always written before the note

Accidentals are always written before the note, here is an example:

Accidentals only affect on the current measure (bar)

After an accidental has been written, every same note is also affected for all the current measure ( bar) in which they occur, unless explicitly changed by another accidental. The note on next measures (bars) will not be affected by the accidental from the previous measure.

Example #1:

Example #2:

Accidentals and ties

As ties connect notes, two notes tied have the same pitch, even crossing a bar line:

Courtesy accidentals

A courtesy accidental, also called a cautionary accidental or reminder accidental, are accidentals that are not necessary, but that are used to remind the musician of the correct pitch.

Example #1 of a courtesy accidental:

Example #2 of a courtesy accidental:

Accidentals affect key signature

Accidentals affect the key signature.

In this example (below), this key signature means that all E notes are E flat (E♭) and that all B notes are B flat (B♭). But the accidentals on measures (bars) affect the key signature:

Accidentals and octaves

With the key signature, all notified notes are affected, regardless of the octave:

With accidentals that are not in the key signature, only the notes on his position on the staff (stave ) is affected:

Accidentals do not accumulate

Accidentals do not accumulate, example:

Here, the note is a C sharp (C♯) and it is not a C double sharp...

Accidentals order on the key signature

The accidentals on the key signature are always written in the order of flats and in the order of sharps:

Order of flats

The order of flats is: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭



Read more about order of flats.

The order of sharps

The order of sharps is: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯



Read more about the order of sharps.

Accidentals in contemporary music

In contemporary music you can find this kind of key signature that don't respect the usual order of accidentals:

Obsolete accidentals

Some accidentals have become obsolete and are no longer used, but you may find them in old music scores:

• The double natural (♮♮): cancels the effect of the double sharp or the double flat, nowadays a single natural is sufficient.
• The natural & sharp (♮ ♯): cancel one sharp of previous double sharp, nowadays, a single sharp only is enough.
• The natural & flat (♮ ♭): cancel one flat of previous double flat, nowadays a flat only is enough.

Example of a double accidental "natural & sharp" (measures 2 and 5) in Fugue n°18 BWV 863 in G sharp minor (book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier) by J.S. BACH:

Royalty-free sound sample recorded in 2015 by pianist Kimiko Ishizaka (Attribution 4.0 International license, source).

Accidentals in the chromatic scale

Traditionally we use the sharps in the ascending chromatic scale and the flats in the descending chromatic scale:

Test your knowledge

What does the sharp (♯) do?

What does the flat (♭) do?

What does the natural sign (♮) do?

What does the double flat (♭♭) do?

What does the double sharp (♯♯) do?

What is the order of sharps (♯)?

What is the order of flats (♭)?

Others articles from this category:

Sharp

The sharp symbol in music theory: Learn all about this accidental that affect music notes whit great examples.

Flat

The flat symbol in music theory: Learn all about this accidental that affect music notes whit great examples.

Natural sign

The natural sign in music theory: Learn all about this accidental that affect music notes whit great examples.

Double sharp

The double sharp symbol in music theory: Learn all about this accidental that affect music notes whit great examples.

Double flat

The double flat symbol in music theory: Learn all about this accidental that affect music notes whit great examples.

Order of flats

Learn the order of flats and find a trick to memorize the order of flats. With the order of flats you will be able to know all Altered notes and to find the key

Order of sharps

Learn the order of sharps and find a trick to memorize the order of flats. With the order of sharps you will be able to know all Altered notes and to find the key.

Quarter tones

Quarter tones: learn all about half flat, half sharp, three-quarter-tone flat and Sharp-and-a-half. Learn why to use quarter tone in music.

External links to learn more about :

1 - https://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory9.htm
2 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_(music)
3 - https://musicterms.artopium.com/a/Accidentals.htm