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When you have memorized the white keys, it is important to understand the concept of the black keys and their relation to the white key notes.
These can be tricky to understand at first. We will learn without being too technical.
*The reason it may be hard to understand is because the black keys can be referenced as a sharp or flat.
Make sure to understand why a sharp is a sharp before moving on to flats.
What is a Sharp?
In music, a sharp is when you go up in pitch. The easy way I remember this is by seeing it as “sharpening” the sound.
A sharp is identified by a hashtag sign: ♯.
Sharps relation to the white keys.
We went over the white keys, they contained 7 letters of the alphabet.
The black keys contain the same letters, with a sharp symbol.
New Term.
Semitone [the smallest interval used in classical Western music, equal to a twelfth of an octave or half a tone.]
See video below showing you a semitone movement.
Example: from C, a semitone or half-step up to the right, giving you C sharp.
Going to the right is “sharpening” the sound.
Learn the Sharp.
If you take a look at the image above.
The black keys represent these sharps.
An easy way to learn the sharps is to look at the white note directly to the left of the sharp you want to play.
From left to right,
The first black key, a semitone to the right of the C key is C♯.
The second black key, a semitone to the right of the D key is D♯.
The third black key, a semitone to the right of the F key is F♯.
The fourth black key, a semitone to the right of the G key is G♯.
And lastly the fifth key, a semitone to the right of the A key is A♯.
Notes without sharps.
The only keys without any black keys next to them are E and B. These two notes don’t have sharps.
So if you go one semitone to the right from E, you will be landing on F.
And from B if you go a note or semitone to the right you will land on C.
As you can see on the piano key image above. No black keys, no sharps.
Last, Important Note.
Music is complex, people interpret it in many ways.
Although, the notes E and B don’t have sharps…
If you ever hear someone reference E sharp… just know they are talking about an F note. Vice versa with C being B sharp.
What's next?
Good job learning sharps! Memorize them.
We will learn about FLATS in the next post.
Quick Review
In music notation, a sharp is when you go up in pitch. The easy way I remember this is by seeing it as “sharpening” the sound.
A Sharp is an Accidental.
Accidental: a sign indicating a momentary departure from the key signature by raising or lowering a note.
The black keys will contain letters with a sharp symbol.
There are 5 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯.
Going notes to the right of the piano, give you sharps.
Sharps
This lesson follows Episode 4 of the Learn Music Theory podcast by DavyyyyG. Scroll to see each concept broken down with visuals and examples.
What Are Sharps?
Sharps are the notes that live just to the right of another note. They raise the pitch by a small step. This symbol ♯ tells us we are sharpening the sound, making it a little brighter and higher.
A sharp is called an accidental in music. It temporarily changes a note from its usual position in the key.
You’ll see sharps in chord names, sheet music, MIDI notes, or piano roll displays.
The 5 Sharp Notes
The piano’s black keys represent sharps. There are five of them:
To find one, just look to the right of a white key. That black key is its sharp.
There are 5 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯.
Semitone Movement
Sharps move us one semitone, or half step, higher. On the piano, it means stepping one key to the right.
This video shows a semitone move from C to C♯.
Sharpening a note just means moving up one semitone. That’s the trick behind sharps.
Notes Without Sharps
Not every white key has a black key next to it. There is no sharp between E and F, or between B and C.
Why? Because there are no black keys immediately to their right.
Sharp Naming Exceptions
If someone says E♯, they mean F. If someone says B♯, they mean C. These are naming quirks in theory, not new notes.
Quick Review
- Sharps raise a note’s pitch by a semitone
- They’re written using ♯, a hashtag-looking symbol
- The black keys on the piano represent sharps
- There are 5 standard sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯
- E and B do not have sharps (no black keys next to them)
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