Sharps and Flats and Natural Signs

Notes can be altered (raised or lowered in pitch) using symbols called Sharps and Flats. A sharp raises a note up a half-step (the distance of one fret) while a flat will lower a note one half-step. Sharps and flats lower or raise the note for the duration of the measure. In the next measure, the note returns to its natural sound. Notes can either be spelled with a Sharp or a Flat, which means that F# and Gb are the same note. Therefore, a Sharp or Flat can look different in standard notation even though it is played in the same position on the guitar. 

Sharps

If you see a note with a Sharp (#) next to it, the sharp will raise the note up by a half- step, which is the distance of one fret on the guitar. For example, if you see an open 3rd string G note on the staff, a sharp would raise the pitch to G#, which is found on the first fret of the 3rd string.

Using Sharps and Flats 

There are some important rules to follow when writing Sharps and Flats. The first rule is when a note is altered with a Sharp or Flat, that note will last for an entire measure without having to re-write the sharp.

The second rule when writing sharps or flats is that a sharp or flat will return to its normal pitch in the subsequent measure. If you want to have a sharp last for multiple measures, you will need to either re-write the sharp in each measure, or use a key signature, which we will discuss in a future lesson.

Sharps and Flats Review 

To review, a sharp will raise the note one half-step and a flat will lower a note one half-step from its natural position. In the example below, we can see how the note A on the 3rd string, 2nd fret, can be raised with a sharp to A# on the 3rd fret and lowered with a flat to Ab on the 3rd string, 1st fret.

Natural Signs 

When we use sharps and flats frequently, we will want to be able to cancel out a sharp and return a note to its original pitch. To do this, we use a Natural sign, that will return a note to its original pitch regardless if it was previously played as a Sharp or Flat note. 

In the example below, the note G# is followed by a G natural, which returns the note to the original pitch G. The Gb in the 2nd measure can also be returned to a G natural by using a natural sign.