Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Flats and Sharps
I dont understand something Thomases teacher told him yesterday
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (6 votes) 
Avatar
JimandThomas
Members

Regulars
October 28, 2023 - 8:04 am
Member Since: November 9, 2021
Forum Posts: 308
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

During Thomases lesson with his teacher yesterday, she told him to write something down and for the life of me, I dont understand it so I am hoping someone can explain it to me. Thomas told me "She is telling me the flats and sharps" but that is all he said. It just doesnt make sense. I even told him that you can make any notes flat or sharp but just kept saying "I dont know what to tell you Dad". 

She told him to write down the flats...BEADGCF and even put it in a sentence to remember, which I dont remember what it was now. She then told him to always remember that the sharps are the same letters, just backwards...FCGDAEB and to remember it by saying "Fat Cats Go Downstairs And Eats Breakfast".

What on earth is she talking about?

Jim(Thomases Dad)

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
October 28, 2023 - 8:12 am
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1794
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

She's talking about the orders of sharps and flats in key signatures. When you see a certain number of sharps or a certain number of flats in the key signature, they're always added in that order. It makes sense if you consider of the relationships between keys:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/....._of_fifths

 

The mnemonic I prefer is "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle" for sharps, and "Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father" for flats. It's the same words for both, just reversed.

Avatar
JimandThomas
Members

Regulars
October 28, 2023 - 8:17 am
Member Since: November 9, 2021
Forum Posts: 308
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@AndrewH Well, I'll be darned!!! I was never taught that when I was a kid(or i just plain forgot). my dad just made me memorize it by looking at it. Thank you very much

Jim(Thomases Dad)

Avatar
ELCBK
USA
Members

Regulars
October 30, 2023 - 1:54 am
Member Since: June 10, 2020
Forum Posts: 8954
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

209310-Halloween-Black-Cat.jpg

@JimandThomas -

"Fat Cats Go Downstairs And Eats Breakfast"

🤣 LOVE IT!!! 

I'd love to know the Mnemonic for the flats, too!

 

I've become much more interested in the Circle of 5th this past year, not only because of how chords and chord progressions relate to it, but also modes. 

...and the order of 5th's around the circle also shows the order of sharps & flats in the key signature.

But, to be perfectly honest, I still rely on my chart alot.  I've only memorized 2/3's of them - because of my strings.  Since I've been using a low F string this last 8 months, it's easy for me to visualize them (F,C,G,D,A and E) - and then the potential Bb & B on either side.  Guess I just don't have the last 4 (of the circle) in front of my face enough. 

I might be able to remember the cats! 😊

Avatar
Ripton
Vermont, Massachusetts or somewhere in between
Members

Regulars
November 1, 2023 - 7:20 pm
Member Since: November 2, 2014
Forum Posts: 616
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

HAH, wish I could use chat but I came in to ask a very similar question. I am supposed to play an E flat. Would that be the same as a D sharp or are they different tones all together?

Avatar
Mouse
November 1, 2023 - 7:38 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 6219
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online

E flat and D sharps would be the same note on a piano key board, so I would think it would be anywhere else? I am not that knowledgeable of music theory, so take it with a grain of salt, or a slab of salt, 😂

With scales and keys, even though they are the same nite, there is probably some confusing explanation, but they are the same note. 

🐭

 

Edited by Mouse to clarify

                  Learn Violin and Fiddle

                   on

                         Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum

Avatar
Unfretted
Members

Regulars
November 1, 2023 - 8:06 pm
Member Since: October 17, 2020
Forum Posts: 186
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Ripton said
HAH, wish I could use chat but I came in to ask a very similar question. I am supposed to play an E flat. Would that be the same as a D sharp or are they different tones all together?

@Ripton ,

Mouse is correct. E flat and D sharp are the same pitch.

The key signature would determine which designation you would use.  For example, in the key of B flat, which contains B flat and E flat, the pitch would be called E flat. In the key of E major, which contains F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, and D sharp, the pitch would be called D sharp.

———————————————
NO 🚫 🎭 DRAMA

———————————————

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
November 1, 2023 - 8:18 pm
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1794
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

They may or may not be the same pitch, depending on context.

They're the same pitch in equal temperament, and you will generally play them as the same pitch if performing with a piano. However, they may not be the same pitch if you are playing in just intonation, which is often (but not always) done when playing unaccompanied or in ensembles without piano. (That said, ensemble playing generally involves compromises between equal temperament and just intonation.) But temperament is a more advanced topic, and can easily explode into pages and pages of discussion of specific situations. In general, you can treat then as the same pitch and you'll be close enough.

Avatar
Ripton
Vermont, Massachusetts or somewhere in between
Members

Regulars
November 21, 2023 - 7:01 pm
Member Since: November 2, 2014
Forum Posts: 616
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

thanks all. I am trying to improve my intonation by using a digital tuner while playing notes (eek, I know) and the tuner will only show sharps, never a flat. 

Avatar
Mark
Members

Regulars
November 22, 2023 - 12:27 am
Member Since: September 30, 2014
Forum Posts: 2277
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
10sp_Permalink sp_Print
5

Ripton

I use an app on my phone called, intonia, which was made for string players, the free version is just equal temperamant how ever the paid version give you the choice of equal temperament,  just and pathagorean temperamant.

Good for checking your self if you don't think something is in tune.

Mark

Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.

Albert Sammons

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online: Mouse
Guest(s) 55
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today None
Upcoming Fiddlerman, Dax, Epiphany, Grunyon, Lullyfan, DD, TonicScale, Bismarck, Violince, Doc Miller, Gjinja, Mariana, JillyR, callum bryne, ELCBK
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 8954
ABitRusty: 4353
Mad_Wed: 2849
Gordon Shumway: 2815
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
stringy: 2451
Oliver: 2439
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2277
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31758
Moderators: 0
Admins: 8
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 84
Topics: 10890
Posts: 138489
Newest Members:
Penina, mikehalloween SP, JesusGreen SPAMMER, dumpstop1 SP, rat BND, philthefiddler, oceanjay, sdcaller, sanderson11 SP, Petr Kopulety
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16546, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3746, JoakimSimplePress: 0, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 6219