Part 1: Start with the sounds and the names · Lesson 008 / 117
A flat lowers a note
Use a second name for a pitch when the musical context needs it.
A flat sign, written b in plain text and ♭ in notation, lowers the named note by one semitone. Gb means G flat: one semitone below G.
G is at high E fret 3, so Gb is at fret 2. In the previous lesson, we called that same fret F#. Both names refer to the same sounding pitch on this equal-tempered guitar. Such names are called enharmonic equivalents.
Why allow two names? Music describes relationships as well as addresses. In a later lesson, a scale or chord will give us a reason to choose one spelling rather than the other. Today, you only need to understand both instructions: F raised and G lowered arrive at the same place.
Do not spend this session learning every possible spelling. Practise one pair, then a second. A name can change while the physical fret and the sound remain fixed.
Hear it
Enharmonic
Audio fileFour-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.
A concrete example
High E fret 2: F# when described as raised F; Gb when described as lowered G. B-string fret 2 similarly has the names C# and Db.
Try it, slowly
- Find G, then lower it one fret to Gb.
- Find F, then raise it one fret to F#; notice the same destination.
- Write one sentence explaining why C# and Db can share a fret.
Check one idea
Does changing the written name F# to Gb require moving your finger?
Show the explanation
Not on this equal-tempered guitar when the octave is unchanged. The names describe the same pitch from different letter references.
A good place to stop
You can explain a sharp/flat pair without assuming the two names always have the same theoretical job.
Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.