Accidentals - Music Theory Lesson 4

Welcome to Aristide Music. Let's talk about accidentals. In our previous lesson we learned that tone and semitone refers to the distance between two pitches. Key 1 to key 2 are a semitone from each other since they are right next to one another. A semitone is not always from a black key to a white key. In this example they are still adjacent to one another by a semitone. A tone covers the same distance as two semitones. Key 1 to key 2 is the first semitone. Key 2 to key 3 is the second semitone. Let's go back to our full keyboard with a staff which is our pitch ladder and our clefs which are our pitch range indicators. When you're on the keyboard it's easy to understand if we're moving by tones or semitones. All you have to do is look at it and count the keys. This is something we learned in our previous lesson. If you haven't watched that lesson click in the link below. But how does pitch move by tones and semitones on the staff or pitch ladder? As you may have noticed the grand staff accounts for all the white keys within the pitch range whether they are one semitone or one tone apart from each other. The white keys of the staff are a mix of tones and semitones. In order to access the black keys on the staff we have to use the white keys as a point of reference. Let's say you want to play this black key. This black key is not on the staff as a pitch of itself. All the white keys are on the staff as a pitch of their own. But how do you find the black keys on the staff? As you may have noticed this black key is between two white keys. The pitches for those two white keys are on the staff but not the black key. Sharps and flats will solve our dilemma. Our goal is to play the black key on the staff. There are two ways to go about it. First we're going to choose one of these two keys. This one will do for now. On the keyboard I must go up one semitone from this white key to reach this black key. We'll do the same on the staff by using a sharp. This is a sharp symbol. It looks like a hashtag and it alters the pitch by raising it one semitone. In order to go up one semitone on the staff you must indicate it with a sharp. You must place the sharp symbol to the left of your pitch on the staff so that it can go up one semitone. The key has just been sharpened. The second way to arrive at the black key on the staff is by using the other key to the right. On the keyboard I must go down one semitone from this white key in order to reach this black key. In order to do it on the staff we're going to use a flat. This is a flat symbol. It looks like the lowercase letter b and it alters the pitch by lowering it one semitone. In order to go down one semitone on the staff you must indicate it with a flat symbol. You must place it to the left of your pitch on the staff so that you can go down one semitone. Since music moves in a forward fashion it also moves from left to right on the staff. Placing the flat or sharp on the staff before the pitch allows us to see that that pitch will be flattened or sharpened. Flats and sharps are called accidentals. An accidental is a sign that is used to lower or raise the pitch by one semitone. The flat lowers the pitch by one semitone and the sharp raises the pitch by one semitone. We hadn't covered the black keys from the beginning because of their ambiguous nature. In brief the black keys are always an expression of two possible pitches. Let's practice. For this practice session you are more than welcome to click in the link that's in the description in order to download some free staff paper. Let's get into it. Which key does the pitch on the staff indicate? Since this note is flat we're going to go down one semitone. Which key does the pitch on the staff indicate? Since the note is sharp we're going to go up one semitone. Which key does the pitch on the staff indicate? Since this note is flat we're going to go down one semitone. Which key does the pitch on the staff indicate? Since the note is sharp we're going to go up one semitone. Now let's practice writing the two possible pitches on the staff to the indicated key. Which two pitches can this key represent on the staff? First, identify the nearest two adjacent keys. Second, write the pitches to those keys on the staff. Third, write a sharp to the left of the pitch that goes up a semitone and the flat to the left of the pitch that goes down a semitone. Which two pitches can this key represent on the staff? First, identify the nearest two adjacent keys. Second, write the pitches to those keys on the staff. Third, write a sharp to the left of the pitch that goes up a semitone and the flat to the left of the pitch that goes down a semitone. Which two pitches can this key represent on the staff? First, identify the nearest two adjacent keys. Second, write the pitches to those keys on the staff. Third, write a sharp to the left of the pitch that goes up a semitone and the flat to the left of the pitch that goes down a semitone. As you have learned, accidentals are simply the flat and sharp symbols used to change or alter a pitch by one semitone on the staff. In our next lesson, we will be learning to use tones and semitones to build a major scale. Now that you know what a sharp and flat symbol is, what it does, how to read it on the staff and how to play it on the keyboard, if you find my videos helpful, give a like and subscribe to help me bring you more free music lessons. In the meantime, have a musical day and I'll see you on the next one.