Easy Theory When To Use Sharp or Flat | How To Spell Chords And Scales

You can help support PianoFS over on Patreon and gain access to exclusive training content

Intervals PDF

Build Common 3 and note chords PDF

All 12 Major scales PDF W/Graphics and Finger numbers

Learning how to spell chords and scales correctly and knowing when to use flats and sharps is really important to help us understand how these things are built, communicate and notate music clearly. Here's a simple guide how to do it for beginners!

Check out the Soundbrenner Vibrating Metronome here!
Use Code PFS to get a 25% Discount!

// My favourite BEGINNER DIGITAL PIANOS 🎹👇👇

USA

UK AND EUROPE

Best BUDGET Universal Sustain Pedal

My piano Bench (This one's great!)

Other Piano Stools

These are affiliate links - I may make a small commission on any qualifying purchase at no extra cost to you

WATCH NEXT 👇🎹👇

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

0:00 Spelling is important
1:15 First we need to numbers notes
1:59 How to spell scales
5:31 How to spell chords
9:34 White note flats and sharps
12:24 Double flats and sharps

#beginnerpiano #PianoLessons #pianotheory

[biscuitsandthat]

Can't believe how long it took me to find an explanation like this, thank you!

[lightwhipr]

My 10 year old just announced, "I understand that now". Hallelujah. Thank you for your content.

[jessicaswanson]

This video is crazy helpful. As a beginner I was quite confused by this and hadn't come across a good explanation.

[chandonfigg]

Super clear! Love the aha moments I got from this

[christopherwalker]

Im a piano teacher this video is Excellent😊👍. Well done, very comprehensive. Not many like this on YouTube. Good job mate.

[emilerose]

You are an excellent teacher. I was looking for an answer to a different question, but started watching and your clarity and teaching style drew me in. Grateful for a clearly taught and useful lesson. Thank you.

[WBWontYouBeMyNeighbor]

Thank you for your video! I finally understand how it is "computed" whether a note in a scale is called a sharp of one note or a flat of the next. I went through several videos trying to understand how that is done, but it was your video that explained it well enough for me to finally get it. Thanks again!!!

[abdeljabarelgueddari]

Great as always! Thanks for the awsome job!

[peterwalton]

Thanks for another great video! It really makes sense of how notes and chords are named. It may seem complicated, but it's a lot more straightforward than trying to teach primary school kids spelling, punctuation and grammar! I'm thankful every day that I've retired! 😌

[janseendiguiseppiThomasMC]

Guitar player here learning on keyboard to loop with my guitar and harmonica. Your videos have been a huge help! Thank you!

[hacksaw]

I'm getting back into piano after quite some time off. Really appreciating your excellent tutorials! Thanks!

[ZBaldwin]

This answers exactly what I was looking for. It helps a lot thanks

[timhuskisson]

A really well presented lesson with clear explanations throughout. This video would benefit any music student.

[bryanroos]

I really appreciate all of the great work you have put into your channel with so many helpful videos like this one. I find your pacing to be just perfect for me. You explain a lot of information clearly without going too slow or over-simplifying. When I watch a video for the first time I often only understand a small portion of it, but it's enough to hold my interest and then I get more out of it after watching again later on. If you went more slowly I wouldn't have the patience to watch again and if you went more quickly I would be lost and not able to watch the whole video the first time through.

[haroldjustingo]

great job explaining this thank you so much!

[SummerSanityOver]

I ran into confusion while using MuseScore and wondering if a chord should have a flat or sharp in it. Not quite into my 2nd year without prior music (and pretty old to boot), you explained it perfectly for me. Thank you so much!

[lyrahuggett]

Thank you.
My biggest question, when I’ve been learning piano always ends up being why? Why do we give the black notes the names they have and why do they change? I feel like I have a better understanding now.

[RB-video]

I'm finding my keys a bit too sharp, they're hurting my hands. Have tried gardening gloves but they're having an impact on my dexterity. Have you had this issue? Any advice?

[Nick-uidr]

How about when ever u go semitone up u call it flat cause only one version of note can stay in scale so u cant make it sharp. Same way if you crossover to other block like going to black from white in upward direction with tone interval like from E to F# or From B to C# u call later the sharp cause u skip that inbetween note. So if u go to F# from E in any scale its F# always F#. But if u go to F# from F ..its a semitone distance so its flat note so Gb.

Same way u if u are going forward but in downward direction i.e. from a black key to white key by a semitone it cant be flat cause u cant go from flat to its normal note. So that black key must be sharp.

But if u go from black key to white key with a interval of tone distance downward it got to be flat. Like at corners. From Bb to C or Eb to F ...cause that missed key inbetween must be accounted for.

See if there is any exception to this simple rule.. I guess not... But its just flying observation of mine.

So all in all. If u go upward direction a semitone.. then that next black key is flat ..up a tone distance black key is sharp.

Reverse the logic for downward trend if u go to white with semitone distance that prev black key is flat.. and if tone that prev black key is sharp.

And I guess u can extend the logic to directly deal with chords pattern as well.

And remember if one black is sharp or flat all sequencial black keys are sharp or flat too.

Or simply think if scale starts with black key it has to be flat cause its prev note semitone apart is pure note. i.e. 7th note of scale.

🙏🙏🙏

[abdeljabarelgueddari]

Hi🙂 I'm a big fan of bepop, stuff from Bird, Miles, Monk and Dizzy makes me Dizzy 🙂 I am in love with this music! I can deeply feel it! So what can you recommend me as beginner? specialy, Wich scales schould I concentrate at? Wich Chords? And how can I generally get play this type of music in the long term?