conventional pitch names (was RE: Song Keys...)

[Bill Long <LONGWJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Sat, 08 Jul 1995 15:37:52 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: RE: Song Keys; What's this Harp?
> 
>Actually, with an A harp, 4th position would be F# (relative minor), 5th
>position C# (3rd), and 6th position Eb (major 7th.) The keys of G, C, and D
>would be 11th, 10th, and 12th respectively.  The first 2 (G and C) lack
>tonic notes in the A major scale.

To be conventionally correct you should stick to the root key signature 
when naming "enharmonic" (C#/Db or F#/Gb for example) pitches.  You don't 
call out the pitches of an Eb major scale as Eb, F, G, G#, Bb, C, D, Eb...
because the key signature for that scale is 3 flats (Bb, Eb, and Ab).  
Similarly, on an A harp (key of A is 3 sharps) 6th position is G# locrian 
mode (Eb, or actually D# is the major 7th of the E major scale).

so okay...I'm feeling petty today

We should notice that any pitch can be referred to by it's enharmonic 
equivalent...B# is THE SAME PITCH as C natural, and you might see A notated 
as Bbb in certain contexts where the music is in a key where B is already flat
(Eb for example) but the composer wants to throw in an accidental that's 
a half-step down from the 5th step of the scale.  Every note has enharmonic 
equivalents so the convention is to stick to the key signature of the scale 
you are working with...don't be fooled into thinking that because its called 
an Eb on the circle of fifths that it will not be called a D# in the key 
signature context where you find it.