Notes that are played the same, and sound the same, also look the same.īelow is an illustration of what these notes might look like on a basic five-line chromatic staff. Notes that are enharmonically equivalent share the same position on a chromatic staff. Hide Double Sharps & Double Flats Show Double Sharps & Double FlatsĬhromatic staves are more consistent than the traditional diatonic staff in representing the relationships between pitches. With only sharps, flats, naturals: (7 diatonic notes) x (3 variants) = 21 notes per octave Including double sharps, double flats: (7 diatonic notes) x (5 variants) = 35 notes per octave Notes that sound the same and are played the same appear at different vertical positions on the staff. (See our tutorial on Intervals in Traditional Music Notation.)Įnharmonic Equivalents in Traditional Notation The traditional diatonic staff already has an irregular pitch axis, and the use of accidental signs makes the relationship between pitches less consistent and more obscure. Notes that sound the same may appear on different lines or spaces. This is another example of inconsistency in traditional notation’s representation of pitch. are played the same way on most instruments.sound the same since they have the same pitch (or very similar pitches, see below) and.are represented differently in traditional notation.In western music theory and practice, notes such as C# and Db are understood to be “enharmonically equivalent.” If you include double sharps and double flats, there are three of these notes for all but one of the twelve degrees of the chromatic scale: This is an obscure and often complex topic, and some background knowledge about enharmonic equivalents, tuning systems and practice, and diatonic function may be helpful.Įnharmonic Equivalents in Traditional Notation and on Chromatic Staves This tutorial looks at the reasoning behind this objection, considers several ways it can be addressed, and ultimately shows it to be unfounded. Some musicians may object to alternative music notation systems that use a chromatic staff because of their (presumed) omission of the traditional distinction between enharmonically equivalent notes (like C# and Db).
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