Accidentals In Music

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The accidentals in music are the musical notation symbols that remodel the way staff music notation defines the pitch of a note.

Accidentals in music help us to redefine the pitch of a note at a particular line or space on the staff.

Also, with the aid of accidentals, we can temporarily lower or raise the pitch of a note within the staff by half-tone or semitone.

Basically, accidentals occur within the piece of music as their name specified “by accident” unlike key signature.

Truly, they are not the original notation for the pitch of a note as that has already been established by the clef on the staff and key signature.

Nevertheless, they are very useful tools that make a big difference in music notation. Majorly, they changed the pitch of a note that has already been defined by the key signature.

Moreover, accidentals are the foundational element of the key signature. We used them to define the key of music to make the staff align with the scale.

However, accidentals within the measure are more focused on the note in a measure and not the entire piece like the key signature.

The majority of the new students of music theory may find it difficult to understand accidentals and their function in music.

But whatever the case may be, this article will thoroughly guide us on what accidentals are in music notation.

Also, it will shed more light on the function of accidentals in music. And it will guide us on how to use them in writing music down on paper.

What Are Accidentals In Music

Accidentals are special symbols used in music notation to raise or lower the pitch of a note by half step (or semitone) temporarily.

Also, the accidentals in music are special symbols used in staff music notation to redefine the pitch of a note that has already been established with a key signature.

Accidental symbols are placed to the left of the note heads and their effect only applies to a measure they were used. We will discuss how to use accidentals later in another section of this article.

Note that the key signature also uses accidental symbols to redefine the pitch of every line and space of the staff.

But the effects of accidental use by key signature are permanently throughout the entire staff of a piece.

Although this can change if it is nullified or overridden by a new signature within the piece.

While accidentals are placed on the staff closely next to the note they affect, the key signature is placed straight after the clef.

On the other hand, all the pitches that are not marked with the key signature are called accidentals.

Types Of Accidentals In Music

The major function of accidentals in music notation is to change the pitch of the note. Accidentals achieve this by either raising or lowering the pitch of the note by a half-step or whole step.

So we have different types of “accidentals symbols” that are normally used for different functions. Below is the list of different types of accidentals used in music and their respective symbols.

Sharp ( # )

Flat (𝄬)

Natural (𝄮)

Double Sharp (𝄪)

Double Flat (𝄫)

A Sharp (𝄰)

A symbol used for sharp accidental looks like a hash symbol on the computer‘s keyboard. This is shown in the diagram above.

Specifically, a sharp symbol is used to signify that the note is half-step or semitone higher than the actual pitch. In a simple term, we can say that a sharp is placed next to a note to make it a half-step or semitone higher.

Note that sharp signs can be used as a key signature or typically as accidentals.

A Flat (𝄬)

A symbol used for flat accidental looks very similar to a twisted lower case “b” as we can see from the diagram above.

Generally, a flat symbol is used to indicate that the note is half step lower than the original pitch. So when we see a flat symbol next to a note within a measure, the note is half-step or semitone lower.

Note that flat signs can be part of a key signature or customarily as accidentals.

For piano music, a flat symbol next to a note implies we have to play the note a semitone lower.

Natural sign (𝄮)

The symbol used for natural accidental is as shown in the diagram above. A natural sign removes the effect the sharp or flat accidental has already established.

Of course, we use a natural sign to cancel a sharp or flat effect on a note within a measure.

So, in order to cancel the effect of a sharp or flat sign from earlier in the bar or from a key signature, we use natural.

The natural sign is only used in the music as an accidental and not in the key signature like sharp or flat.

Double Accidentals in Music

There are also double accidentals which can either be double sharp or double flat.

Double accidentals are used to raise or lower the pitch of a note by a tone or two semitones.

However, the double accidental treat notes with established sharp or flat from key signature are different. They only raise or lower these notes further by a half-step or a semitone.

Double accidentals are not common, unlike standard accidentals. In fact, modern composers rarely use them but we need to get familiar with them in our learning.

Basically, we have two types of double accidentals which are Double Sharp and Double Flat. Note that Double Natural does not exist and there is nothing like that.

Double Sharp (𝄪)

A double sharp accidental makes the original pitch of the note two semitones higher.

But if the note has already been sharped or flatted by key signature, double sharp only raises the note further by a semitone.

Double Flat (𝄫)

A double flat accidental makes the natural pitch of the note two semitones lower.

But if the note has already been sharped or flatted or by key signature, double flat only lowers the note further by a semitone.

Note that Double Sharp and Double Flat are not commonly used and are somehow peculiar in modern music. Basically, there is nothing logical in using C-double sharp when we can write D directly.

Normally, you can see either double sharps or double flats in Romantic period music but hardly you will see them in use in today’s music.

Because composers nowadays prefer to notate music in the simplest possible way.

Sharps Flats and Naturals Notes on the Piano Keyboard

The piano keyboard setting has all the flats, sharps and natural notes. And as we can see from the diagram above, all the white keys on the piano (or organ) keyboard are natural notes.

Furthermore, all the black keys on the piano keyboard are used for either flat or sharp notes.

Sharps are the black keys to the right of the white keys. By moving to the black keys on the right of the white keys, we raise the note by a semitone and thus have a sharp.

On the other hand, flats are the black keys to the left of the white keys. So, by moving to the black keys on the left of the white keys, we lower the note by a semitone and thus have a flat.

From this point of view, black keys are both sharp and flat. This condition is what we call enharmonic in music.

Enharmonic Notes

Enharmonic is a term used to describe the same note on the keyboard instrument that is notated with different notes.

For instance, C-Sharp (C♯) and D flat (D♭) are enharmonic because one tone which is the first key of two black keys groups will produce the two notes.

You can read enharmonic notes for more clarification on the subject.

Playing Accidentals On Keyboard Instrument

If we are on a piano, a sharp sign directly beside the left side of a note tells us to play the note one semitone higher.

The diagram above shows us what to play in case we have a sharp symbol next to D.

So if we had sharpened with note D on the key of C Major, we would play the black key that directly follows note D natural.

That black key is D-Sharp or E flat(harmonic equivalent) and is played instead of playing white key D.

What matters when we want to play a sharp note is to press/strike the note that directly follows the note that has been sharped.

On the other hand, we play flat by pressing/striking the note that directly precedes the note that has been flattened.

So if we had flat on note G on the key of C Major, we would play the black key directly before note G natural.

That black key is G-flat or F-sharp (harmonic equivalent). So, it is played instead of the white key which is G natural.

If C is double sharp, it means we should play D. This is absolutely true unless the key signature has an effect on C already.

Note that double sharp C is the harmonic equivalent of D natural. Remember the term used for notes that sound the same but have different names is enharmonic equivalents.

Also, to play A double flat, we would press or strike key G. In the same sense, double flat A is the harmonic equivalent of G natural

How To Use Accidentals In Music Notation?

Avoid using multiple accidentals on one note. But this is not applying to a double flat which is symbolized by two flats.

Always remember that a double-flat is a single symbol for accidental.

The new accidental will cancel the effect of the old accidental on the same pitch within a measure.

From the diagram above, note that the effect of the sharp on the third note is needed. And also enough to cancel the first double-flat we have on the second note.

The accidental on one note will affect all other notes that fall on the same pitch with the note that carries the first accidental within a measure.

So within a measure, accidentals affect all the subsequent notes that fall on the same pitch with the accidental.

The effect of an accidental within a measure ends with a measure and it cannot continue in the succeeding measure.

We need to establish an accidental effect again in the following measure for the accidental effect to take place.

Accidental With A Tied Note

Using accidental with a tied note will extend it from the current measure to the subsequent measure. However, if the note comes again after the tie, the accidental sign will be added.

As we can see from the example in the diagram above, the tie took the C-Sharp across the bar to the next measure.

So the rest of the tie in the subsequent measure which is also C-Sharp in this case does not need any accidental sign again. The sharp on the first note of the tie from the first measure has covered it.

But the note that followed the tie is also C-Sharp and it was not part of the tie. So, we need to add an accidental sign again since we are playing the note C-Sharp again.

Courtesy Accidental

This is used as a reminder of the actual pitch as related to the key signature after an accidental has been used in the previous bar (or measure).

It is not the major accidental but accidental use to prevent uncertainty about the original pitch of a note.

Courtesy accidental is customarily enclosed in parentheses to indicate that it is a courtesy accidental.

The example are shown in the diagram above. It shows that the 3rd note in the second bar is C without a sharp or flat.

The natural sign in the parentheses serves as a reminder that the note has returned to its original pitch.

You can read the Courtesy Accidental in Music Notation post for more insight into it.

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