Every note has the potential to be sharp (one pitch higher) or flat (one pitch flatter) than the written letter.
Lesson 3: Accidentals and Enharmonic Equivalents
Below, these are all of the notes that can be used to make western music:
Notice how the black keys have two notes on them. These notes are called enharmonic equivalents, and they both sound exactly the same!
The sharp symbol (#) indicates that the note sounds one semitone above the written note, and the flat symbol (♭, often written as "b") indicates the note is one semitone below the written note. This means that C# and Db are the same note!
There is also something known as a natural (♮) accidental, which is used when you're reading in a key (eg. C#, where every note is sharp). The ♮ symbol reminds you that the indicated note is neither flat or sharp.
You can see by the image that you could add a sharp to E or B and the next note up would be F or C (respectively). Likewise, you could add a flat to F or C and the enharmonic equivalents to Fb and Cb are E and B (respectively.)
Sometimes you can encounter a double flat (♭♭) or double sharp (x) but they're very rare and usually quite unnecessary.
Vocab:
Semitone: Also known as a half-tone, a semitone is a small movement up or down a scale.
Accidental: a symbol used to indicate when a written note sounds a semitone above (sharp) or below (flat), or as the note is written (natural).
Enharmonic equivalent: When a note can be written two different ways, they are both called enharmonic equivalents.
Homework:
Take some notes and find the enharmonic equivalent of them. Remember that not all enharmonic equivalents are marked with accidentals. Some of these might be tricky, but here are some examples:
C = B#
Eb = D#
Also, try doing them without the chart helping you, and then double check with the chart. This may take a little time to memorise, but be patient!
Here are some to get you started:
A#
G#
F
Bb
Cb
E
Ab
G (tricky)
Now think of your own! And don't hesitate to shoot me a message. I'm here to help :)