The musical notes on a keyboard are: C, C♯/D♭, D, D♯/E♭, E, F, F♯/G♭, G, G♯/A♭, A, A♯/B♭, and B.
These twelve notes repeat across the keyboard in different octaves. Let's break it down further:
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The Basic Notes: The fundamental notes without sharps or flats are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. These are represented by the white keys on the keyboard.
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Sharps and Flats: The black keys represent sharps (♯) and flats (♭). A sharp raises a note by a half step, while a flat lowers it by a half step. For example:
- C♯ (C-sharp) is a half step higher than C.
- D♭ (D-flat) is a half step lower than D.
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Enharmonic Equivalents: Some notes have two names (e.g., C♯ and D♭). These are called enharmonic equivalents; they sound the same but are written differently depending on the musical context.
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Not all sharps or flats are black keys: E♯ is the same as F and B♯ is the same as C. Also, C♭ is the same as B and F♭ is the same as E. These notes are not usually called E♯, B♯, C♭, and F♭ except in specific musical contexts.
Here's a table summarizing the notes:
| Note | Sharp Equivalent | Flat Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| C | C♯ | |
| D | D♯ | D♭ |
| E | E♭ | |
| F | F♯ | |
| G | G♯ | G♭ |
| A | A♯ | A♭ |
| B | B♭ |
Many beginners mistakenly think black keys only represent sharps or flats. While all black keys are either a sharp or a flat, not all sharps and flats are black keys as exemplified above.
