Sharps, flats and naturals in music
A sharp (♯) raises a note by one half step. A flat (♭) lowers it by one half step. A natural (♮) cancels a sharp or flat. On the piano, sharps and flats are the black keys. Written in front of a note, the sign lasts until the end of that measure.
The seven letter names A to G name the white keys of the piano. The black keys have no letters of their own. They are named by changing a white key with a sharp or a flat. These signs, called accidentals, appear in front of notes and in key signatures. This page explains what each one does, how long it lasts and how to read it.
What does a sharp do?
A sharp raises a note by one half step. On the piano, a half step is the next key to the right, so C♯ is the black key just above C. The sharp sign looks like a tic-tac-toe grid (♯) and sits before the note, on the same line or space. In speech you say the note name first, and then sharp: C sharp. In writing the sign comes before the note.
What does a flat do?
A flat lowers a note by one half step. On the piano, it is the next key to the left, so B♭ is the black key just below B. The flat sign (♭) looks like a small letter b with a long stem. It also goes before the note. You say the note name and then flat: B flat.
What does a natural do?
A natural sign (♮) cancels an earlier sharp or flat and returns the note to its plain form. It is used in two ways. In the middle of a piece, a natural cancels a sharp or flat given earlier in the same measure. In a piece with a key signature, a natural can cancel a note the key signature would otherwise sharpen or flatten, for example an F♮ in a key with an F♯.
How long does an accidental last?
An accidental written in front of a note applies to that note, and to every later note on the same line or space in the same measure. It is canceled by the bar line. In the next measure the note returns to what the key signature says. It does not apply to the same letter in another octave. Some composers add a reminder accidental in the next measure, often in brackets, to make sure the player does not forget.
How do I say and write sharps and flats?
In speech the letter comes first: C sharp, B flat. In written music the sign comes first, directly before the notehead. In chord symbols and in text on this site, the sign comes after the letter, as in C♯ or B♭. Be careful with the order when you write by hand, since a sign placed after the note would be read as belonging to the next one. Also keep the sign on the same line or space as its note.
What are double sharps and double flats?
A double sharp (𝄪) raises a note by two half steps, which is one whole step, and a double flat (𝄫) lowers it by a whole step. They appear in keys with many sharps or flats, or when a chord needs a certain spelling. For example, F𝄪 sounds the same as G. They are not common in beginner music.
Where are sharps and flats on the piano?
Sharps and flats are the black keys. Each black key can be named as the sharp of the white key to its left or the flat of the white key to its right. The white keys can also be sharped or flatted, for instance E♯ is the same key as F and C♭ is the same key as B. See piano keys for every key and enharmonic notes for notes with two names.
What is the difference between accidentals and key signatures?
A key signature puts sharps or flats at the beginning of each staff, and they apply to every note with that letter name in the piece. An accidental in the music applies only for one measure. Both mean the same thing: raise, lower or cancel a note. See key signatures to learn how to read the sharps and flats at the start of a piece.
Memory trick: Sharp points up, and the note goes up. Flat looks like a b, and the note goes down, like the sag of a flat tire.
Sharps and flats change the pitch by a half step. Understanding that distance is the basis of scales, keys and chords, and you will meet it again and again in the rest of music theory.
Check yourself
1. What does a flat do to a note?
Answer: Lowers it a half step. A flat lowers the note by one half step.
2. What does a natural sign do?
Answer: Cancels a sharp or flat. A natural returns the note to its plain form.
3. How long does an accidental last?
Answer: Until the end of the measure. The bar line cancels it.
4. Which piano key is C♯?
Answer: The black key just above C. A sharp raises C to the next key up, a black key.
5. What does a double sharp do?
Answer: Raises a note a whole step. A double sharp is two half steps up.