A#? Bb? Which is correct? What’s the Difference? An Explanation...

Why are there sharps AND flats? Why can’t there be one or the other? Indeed, notes on MIDI are known as sharps only, but there are reasons why both exist.

Historically, before the world of equal temperament, and if you’re a classical musician who plays a solo instrument, there is a definite reason for sharps being sharps and flats being flats.

Here is a brief explanation of the difference between sharps and flats, and the problems that might occur when trying to read a chord chart or music manuscript..

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[williamsteffen]

i admire your musical knowledge, theory etc. i'm just a singer songwriter creeping up in the years whom taught myself to play guitar by ear and some chord charts and eeked out a living about 10 years of my life :-). i try and take chunks of music theory at a time just to make my mind work. some is simple, other parts can spin my head. taught myself some piano, mostly classical pieces i like and some ragtime. it is a whim for the same reason to make my mind work. wont ever be a piano player, but if i can learn an hrs. worth of tunes and no one asks for they will think i'm a piano player...:-). it's all done in fun and i enjoy the challenge. but now and then i run across one of your videos, and you do a great job. Just thought i'd send you some job.!!

[Maqoute]

That's very helpful. As a regular guitar player i was really messed with this sharp/flat thing. Until this video, mate. Thanks

[A_I_R]

After YEARSSS of playing piano and learning by ear and watching people play and copying them I’m FINALLY learning to read music 😅 only about 20 years late but never to old to start

[neildixon]

This makes a lot more sense. Thank you.

I'm not very knowledgeable on theory but have a mind that wants to know facts that are no use to me!! As a guitar player, I don't get the visual benefit of white and bkack keys.

I've had an explanation before this that sharps are 4/9 and flats 6/9 of the space between a whole tone?

[TSM_rivaltalk]

I know why there is a double sharp in G# Major! Because G major has G, A, B, C, D, E and F#. You sharpened it to G# major so every single note needs to add a sharp. So here’s why it affected F. F already has a sharp in G major and you are sharpening it again. So that resulted in Fx, which is an enharmonic equivalent to G.

[PurpleMusicProductions]

Great video. I am working on the Simandl bass book and when I see Cb and double sharps/flats it always throws my mind out and I curse out loud.

[markE]

Should the enharmonic of Dbm (4 o'clock inner circle) be noted against C#m on that diagram?

[klaytonvonkluge]

But all this is just theoretically speaking, correct?
😉😆
Thanks, Dan

[malcolmharris]

How did the transposer find the correct key? Accidentally!!

Here all week, folks 😁

[aleksavasic]

Cx major would have 14 sharps
C#x major would have 21 sharps
To infinity!...





... Until we lose our concentration because of a lot of sharps!

[siamtheone]

Why not just call them the black notes and the white notes? 🤔 😉