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-   -   Why is it called F# instead of Gb ? (https://www.musicbanter.com/song-writing-lyrics-poetry/48523-why-called-f-instead-gb.html)

Nine Black Poppies 04-02-2010 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daktari (Post 844282)
At no point did anyone refer to anything being in A# or D# or E#. That just sounds weird to me and I can't remember seeing that written anywhere on music sheets as a key signature..

It seems pretty unlikely those would be used as a key signature for anything because of the way the notes would work out.

Like the scale starting on A#/Bb... in Bb it'd be [Bb C D Eb F G A Bb], but in A#, it'd have to be [A# B# Cx D# E# Fx Gx A#] to hit the same notes. And while you can write in a scale with double sharps (although I've never seen it in a key signature), I suppose, it's just a helluva lot easier not to have to.

Which is where the chord names things come in, at least some of the time (eg: the Bb chord), since chords are based on scales. I think some of it also has to do with the commonality of the note--if I remember right, F# (the name, rather than the tone) appears in more/more common major scale notations than Gb does, which might explain why that name gets used more.

(Note* that this is based on old and fuzzy memory of theory. If I'm wrong here, somebody let me know--it's the only way I'll learn.)

[*Pun intended]

jamieharrismusic 04-07-2010 02:44 AM

One thing to consider is the key you are playing in. If your playing in a flat key, you are going to refer to that note as Gb. If not, it will be F#.

Example:

Key of E - the 2nd chord in this key will be F#
Key of Gb - you will refer to the first chord in the key as Gb

this is very simplified and doesnt give much theoretical explanation, but i think it will help you understand why and when a chord is referred to as a # rather than a b...

:) hope i helped, I apologize if there was any redundancy!

Stone Birds 04-07-2010 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamieharrismusic (Post 846813)
One thing to consider is the key you are playing in. If your playing in a flat key, you are going to refer to that note as Gb. If not, it will be F#.

Example:

Key of E - the 2nd chord in this key will be F#
Key of Gb - you will refer to the first chord in the key as Gb

this is very simplified and doesnt give much theoretical explanation, but i think it will help you understand why and when a chord is referred to as a # rather than a b...

:) hope i helped, I apologize if there was any redundancy!

... i play songs in F# major, that's how they're written that's how i play, and when i play in the key of Bb i still consider it F# because it was like that when i learned


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