Sharp (music)
In music, sharp – eqv. dièse (from French) or diesis (from Greek δίεσις)[a] – means higher in pitch. The sharp symbol, ♯, indicates that the note to which the symbol is applied is played one semitone higher. The opposite of sharp is flat, indicating a lowering of pitch. The ♯ symbol derives from a square form of the letter b (see History of notation of accidentals for more information). ExamplesThe sharp symbol is used in key signatures or as an accidental applied to a single note. The staff below has a key signature with three sharps (A major or its relative minor, F♯ minor). The sharp symbol placed on the note indicates that it is an A♯ instead of an A♮. In twelve-tone equal temperament tuning (the predominant system of tuning in Western music), raising a note's pitch by a semitone results in a note that is enharmonically equivalent to the adjacent named note. In this system, A♯ and B♭ are considered to be equivalent. However, in the majority of tuning systems, this is not the case. Key signatureIn a key signature, sharps or flats are placed to the right of the clef. The pitches indicated apply in every octave.
The order of sharps in key signature notation is F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. Starting with no sharps or flats (C major), adding the first sharp (F♯) indicates G major, adding the next (C♯) indicates D major, and so on through the circle of fifths. Some keys (such as C♯ major with seven sharps) may be written as an enharmonically equivalent key (D♭ major with five flats in this case). In rare cases, the sharp keys may be extended further, G♯ → D♯ → A♯ → E♯ → B♯ → F → C, requiring double sharps in the key signature: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. These are called theoretical key signatures. This principle applies similarly to the flat keys. Temporary accidentalWhen used as a temporary accidental sign, they apply to the note on which they are placed, and to all subsequent similar notes in the same measure and octave. the sharp symbol is placed to the left of the note head. Temporary accidentals apply to the note on which they are placed, and to subsequent similar notes in the same measure. In modern notation they do not apply to notes in other octaves or measure, but this was not always the convention. If a sharp is used as an accidental, it can be cancelled on a subsequent similar note in the measure by using a flat (♭) or a natural (♮). VariantsA double sharp () is indicated by the symbol and raises a note by two chromatic semitones. Historically, a double sharp was sometimes written , or .[1] Less often (in microtonal music notation, for example) other types of sharps may be used: A half sharp, or demisharp, or quarter tone () raises a note by approximately a quarter tone = 50 cents ( ), and may be marked with various symbols, often including , sometimes ++ instead. A sharp-and-a-half, three-quarter-tone sharp, or sesquisharp, raises a note by three quarter tones = 150 cents ( ) and may be denoted . Although very uncommon, a triple sharp ( or ♯) can sometimes be found. It raises a note by three semitones or one whole tone and one semitone.[2][3] Strictly speaking, there are many other variants that can appear.[citation needed] Likewise, when used as a temporary accidental sign, they apply to the note on which they are placed, and to all subsequent similar notes in the same staff, measure and octave. ShapeThe sharp symbol (♯) resembles the number (hash) sign (#), in that both have two intersecting sets of parallel double lines. While the number sign may have a pair of horizontal lines, the sharp sign has a pair of slanted lines that rise from left to right instead, to avoid obscuring the staff lines. The other set of parallel lines are vertical in the sharp sign, while the number sign (#) may have slanted lines instead.[citation needed] It is also etymologically independent from the number sign. Likewise, while the double-sharp sign resembles a bold-face lower-case x it needs to be typographically distinct. UnicodeIn Unicode, assigned sharp signs are as follows:
Other notation and usage
See alsoNotesReferences
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