Re: The Gb scale.

[Bill Long <LONGWJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Me again,

I just wanted to add a couple of more bits of info to this discussion.  If 
you already know all about key signature and accidental conventions in 
music notation then hit the <N*ext> key now...if not then read on.

First of all, the order of flats or sharps shown in a key signature is 
always the same:
		F#  C#  G#  D#  A#  E#  B#
			    and
		Bb  Eb  Ab  Db  Gb  Cb  Fb

This way you can always tell what key your in by counting the sharps or flats.
Once you get used to it it becomes automatic, when I see four sharps I know
what they are without having to actually read them.  Usually, if there's a
choice between representing a key signature for a piece of music (like the key
of C# with 7 sharps which is equal to the key of Db with 5 flats) the one with
the fewest sharps or flats is preferred.  There are a couple of tricks for
determining the key from looking at the signature.  For keys with sharps in
them, the key is always a half-step up from the last sharp listed...like the
key of E has four sharps, F# C# G# and D#.  Half-step up from D# is E.  For
keys with flats in the signature the key is always the next-to-last flat listed
for instance the key of Eb has three flats, Bb Eb and Ab.  You just have to
remember that if there's only one flat (Bb) then that is the key of F.  Also,
when determining key signatures, be on the lookout for minor keys.  They follow
the same convention as far as the order of sharps or flats so you have to look
closely and listen to the music to tell if its in the major key, say E major,
or its relative minor, C# minor for this example.

Another convention is that if you have a key with sharps in it, all accidentals
are represented as sharps.  If the key has flats in it they are all represented
as flats.  Never will you see sharps AND flats mixed together in the same key
signature.  So an F# scale is represented by the notes F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#
and the Gb scale is represented by the notes Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb, but notice
these are the SAME notes, just shown differently in different key signatures.
Now once in a while you will see say a Bb in a piece of music in the key of E
(4 sharps).  This only means that that note has been lowered a half-step from
what its value should be within the key signature.  But if it were the G# being
raised a half-step from its proper value in that key signature the proper way
to notate it would be G##, NOT A, the extra sharp showing that this note was
raised from its original value within the key.

Had enough yet?

Bill Long     **StarGazer**	>>I've just bought another 2 GoMels, now I've 
				  got 6 of the 12, C D Eb F G and A!!<<
internet: longwj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (137.142.18.1)
bitnet: longwj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

p.s. how do you make a natural sign on these damn ascii keyboards anyway?

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				[_]    too damn big! 
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