Sharps and scales

If you look at a piano, there are white keys and black keys. Each fret of a guitar has the same relationship to other frets as piano keys do - one fret higher is the next piano key higher, whether it's black or white.

But only white keys on a piano have names. The black keys are 'in-between' named notes; there's a white key for C, a white key for D, and a black key between them.

We call that black key in relation to one of the white keys - we either say it's one higher than C by saying "C-sharp" or we say it's one lower than D by saying "D-flat".

A sharp (#) is a note that is a half-step (semitone, 1 fret) higher than the name note. Thus an F# is a semitone higher than F and comes between F and G.

A flat (b) is a note that is a half-step lower than the name note. Thus a Gb is a semitone lower than G and comes between F and G.

2 notes are said to be enharmonic if they sound the same even if they have different names.

F# and Gb are enharmonic notes and on modern instruments, represent the same note. Formerly this was not precisely true, but almost.

There are 12 notes:

C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B

or seen the other way

C-Db-D-Eb-E-F-Gb-G-Ab-A-Bb-B

Note that there is no note between E-F and B-C.

Each key uses 7 of those 12 notes. The notes used in each key and its relative minor are:

Key Minor Signature 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
C major A minor C D E F G A B
G major E minor # G A B C D E F#
D major B minor ## D E F# G A B C#
A major F# minor ### A B C# D E F# G#
E major C# minor #### E F# G# A B C# D#
B major G# minor ##### B C# D# E F# G# A#
F# major D# minor ###### F# G# A# B C# D# E#
F major D minor b F G A Bb C D E
Bb major G minor bb Bb C D Eb F G A
Eb major C minor bbb Eb F G Ab Bb C D
Ab major F minor bbbb Ab Bb C Db Eb F G
Db major Bb minor bbbbb Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

I hope this helps

A sharp is a sign that looks like this (#) and indicates that the note it's attached to is to be played a semitone (half step) higher in pitch.
A flat sign (b) indicates a note is to be lowered in pitch by a semitone.

Any notes so inflected include the word sharp or flat as part of the name, e.g., C sharp (C#)

thx all for the fast respons! If I understand there is no half tone between E-F and B-C ? Also can some one explain relativy between the key and the minor ?

Thx very much!

If you start on the sixth note in the major scale and play the same notes you'll play a
minor scale

A C major scale has no sharps or flats:
C D E F G A B C

Start on A and play
A B C D E F G A --> A minor

Guitar-wise this means for instance

Play a E major chord with barre at some fret
On the 8th fret that is a C major chord
Go down three frets, i.e. from C-B-Bb-A, and play em shape - there you've got your relative minor (holds for every other fret too of course)

Also you'll find that the minor scale played "connects" with its relative major scale - they have the same notes - an A minor scale starting with index finger on fifth fret 6th string, and a C major scale starting with pinky on 8th fret 6th string for instance.

lars

why is the example above using 7 notes for a scale ? Normally it is from note to same not, 8 thus.

thx lars but the guitar link I do not understeand. I keep on studying :)

edit: think I am mixing scales and keys :?

why is the example above using 7 notes for a scale ? Normally it is from note to same not, 8 thus.

Well, I find that including the tonic note (1) twice seems to confuse beginners more than it enlightens so I left it out of that table.
edit: think I am mixing scales and keys :?

That's common.

When in the key of say, E major, you use mostly the notes of the E major scale, but needn't necessarily be restricted to those.

In minor keys there's even more variation.

thx hbriem that's very clear :!: