Topmusicanswers
If a note has an accidental and the note is repeated in a different octave within the same measure, the accidental does not apply to the same note of the different octave. ... In most cases, a sharp raises the pitch of a note one semitone while a flat lowers it one semitone.
- Do notes in different octaves have the same frequency?
- Does an accidental apply to both clefs?
- Does an accidental apply to the whole bar?
- What is the rule for accidentals?
Do notes in different octaves have the same frequency?
When two musical notes are an octave apart, one has double the frequency of the other yet we hear them as the “same” note – a “C” for example.
Does an accidental apply to both clefs?
No. Each accidental applies only to ONE KEY on the keyboard. Each accidental applies only to one line or space within a staff. If the same key is shown in both clefs, you need an accidental for both.
Does an accidental apply to the whole bar?
The accidental will apply to following notes in the same measure / bar but not after that. If it is needed to cancel the effect before then another accidental (maybe a natural sign) will be required. Oddly, although a sharp or flat in the key signature affects the same note in other octaves, an accidental does not.
What is the rule for accidentals?
Accidental, in music, sign placed immediately to the left of (or above) a note to show that the note must be changed in pitch. A sharp (♯) raises a note by a semitone; a flat (♭) lowers it by a semitone; a natural (♮) restores it to the original pitch.
