Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [enharmonics]

For questions related to the different spelling of same-sounding pitches (e.g., C-sharp and D-flat).

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What's the difference between a G♭ and an F#?

I've heard it said that, whilst on most instruments these notes are played with the same fingerings/technique/etc., there is a subtle difference. This isn't specific to this particular note combination, but to all enharmonic equivalents. What might…
8128
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Why do E♯ and F♮ not sound the same (according to Wikipedia)?

I was just reading the Wikipedia page on the note F (as I do every evening) and was confused by this part where it says that even though F♮ and E♯ are enharmonic they “do not sound the same”: E♯ is a common enharmonic equivalent of F, but is not…
Aran G
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Why are C♯ and D♭ different frequencies?

I am a music enthusiast, and I was recently reading What is the difference between equivalent Flat and Sharp keys as far as musical notation? Are there any reasons to prefer one over the other? This part struck me as odd: C♯ and D♭ actually differ…
yasar
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How are names of enharmonic notes determined?

In our current 12TET system, is it really incorrect to refer to E♭ as D♯ if one mentions them standalone with no reference to tonality? I understand how the notes in a diatonic scale are named but I don’t know whether there’s a specific…
user11845919
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Why is printed music published with incorrect enharmonics?

I'm seeing more and more music that contains conflicting or erroneous information - for example, C°7 written with an A, (not B♭♭), or E7♭5 with A♯ (not B♭). Wondering if it's just ignorance, or whether writers try to come…
Tim
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What is the most common way to refer to a particular note in the chromatic scale without making any implications as regards tonality?

It seems to me that in current musical practice, we are often in a 12-TET situation where effectively, we have an (octave repeating) set of 12 notes that make up the chromatic scale, each of which can then have various names - for example, I might…
topo morto
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How can I improve my violin intonation for enharmonic notes?

I know that while, for many instruments, enharmonic notes are a single pitch and their differences are more of an interpretation, helping music to remain consistent (it would make more sense for a scale to have C and D♭ than it would to have C and…
Kevin
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If B has five sharps, and C♭ has seven flats then how can C♭ and B be the same key?

I was learning the seven-mirror rule trick online today. There was a diagram of every major key along with its corresponding number of accidentals. It was shown that the key of C♭ has seven flats. But, isn’t C♭ just B? By the seven mirror rule: if…
Crosby
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Can you tonicize to a chord that's not on the original key?

I had a discussion with a few people on Chopin's Nocturne in B-flat minor. We couldn't reach an agreement and I'm curious how people would analyze it. In the middle section of the piece (which is in Db major), there are occasionally some short…
lbbl59
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Outside of Equal Temperament, what decides the spelling of notes in a major scale?

I've been reading up on the history of temperament, and how enharmonic notes are more of a limitation of the modern piano (only one black key), and also mathematically they are the same if you use equal temperament, but the situation is not ideal…
Darren
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Is there any reason to use F flat in notating this blues riff (jazz)?

I am reading though Dariusz Terefenko's Jazz theory book, and in the chapter on Improvisation (chapter 10) he lists a few typical 1-, 2- and 4-bars blues riffs, all on a Bb blues scale. Several of these riffs have an F flat, as in the example…
stefano
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never ending omnibus progression

When I studied music theory in college (years ago), I remember my theory instructor demonstrating a use of the omnibus progression where it would go on forever, sounding continuous to the untrained ear (which made the whole class start laughing…
James M. Lay
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How to determine the names of the notes in any given scale

Are there any rules for naming the notes in a scale that can apply to any given scale? I know it's straightforward for diatonic. You just use each of the first 7 letters of the alphabet and [double]flat/sharp where necessary. But I'm looking for…
Taylor Vance
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How to determine if an interval is enharmonic or not

I'm new to music theory, and reading through the basics I learned about interval classifications. But, along with that many questions came to my head. The one I want to ask today is the following: Say I play a C to Eb interval. That would be a minor…
Bruno Alva
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Why use the key of C#?

I was reading about Brahms, and it was mentioned that he had composed a piece in C# Major. AFAIK, we generally don't use C# Major in jazz or rock music because the key signature has 7 sharps, so it's easier to use its enharmonic key - Db, which…
Stinkfoot
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