learning theory..

[newguitarplayer]

ok i have just started to take lessons after around 7 months of teaching my self.. my teacher showed me a little bit of theory based around the octave on the guitar, so far.. ive memorized all the notes on the octave and can name the notes pretty fast and i wanted to excell my learning of thoery so i heard sum 1 mention this site http://www.musictheory.net/load.php?id=21 on that page they are talking about constructing major scales my question is whats the difference between A# and b FlAt because on the thing i memorized the octave on, it says a# and b flat on the same fret.. and how do you learn the notes beyound the 12 fret.. oh and if any one knows a site for good notation lessons like iam trying to learn the symbols like on sheet music.. thanks alot. :cool:

[homebrewer_99]

Basically, you are correct. There is no geographic difference between the A# and Bb as being the same note.

However, the difference comes into play with the key of the song and which notes go with that particular scale. (There's more theory to it than what I am explaining).

That's just a simplified explanation. I am certain others will want to ring in with their wisdom.

Do a search on the net for music notation or definitions and you should get some hits for what you are looking for.

Good luck.

[Malcolm]

Look at a piano --- the black keys are the sharps and flats -- and each black key is a sharp and a flat i.e. A# and Bb would be JUST ONE of the black keys. Now most of the guitar fretboard charts I've seen list only the major notes and the sharps -- and leave it up to you to know that C# and Db are the same note.

Why? Just because that's the way it is.

[wild_axeman]

You have the natural notes A B C D E F G which are the white keys on the piano.

And then you have the accidentals which are the black keys on the piano.Accidentals are the sharp/flat notes (sharp or flat).

When two notes occupy the same geographic location as homebrewer described they are said to be "enharmonic" equivalents of eachother which is just a fancy way of saying that they are two names for the same note.Now if you have an A note somewhere in a scale and someone tells you to sharp it,then because you sharped it you would call it A#...and likewise if you had a B note somewhere in a scale and someone said to flat it,then because you flatted it you'd call it Bb. Aurally they sound exactly the same.However,name-wise it depends on the situation or on the key signature.

Hope that helps.

[Omnislash42]

Yeah, A# and Bb are the same note tonal wise, but its two different ways to write it for the scale you're in. For instance in a sharp major scale, say how about A major you have F# C# and G#. Its 3 sharps, it could also be written as like 13 flats or something which would go into the whole double-flats and be a complete pain. Since its a sharp scale you're going to notate most accidentals (sharps and flats) as sharps.

Its basically like learning math. Eventually you get used to the fact that 1+1 and 3-1 are both 2.

Next thing is B#'s and Fb's... They arent used most of the time because B# is C natural and Fb is E natural but they may be still used in notation... Its used so that if you want to play that note in a key signature where the note its the same as has an accidental... Say a C natural in D major, you could list it as a B# so that it doesnt have to be written with a bunch of naturals and accidentals... It seems complicated at first but is really just to simplify the notation..

I hope i didnt confuse you more. It basically just takes getting used to and practice. Easiest way would have been to learn another instrument as a kid in like band or orchestra.

[toast]

Both sound the same, but they are used when in different keys. For instance:

F G A Bb C D E
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

rather than
F G A A# C D E
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

When writing the music in standard notation, you'd have to use a lot more sharp, flat, and natural signs if using the A A# rather than a A Bb deal.

[kirk_ham]

all the notes start again at the 12 fret. the notes on the 12th fret correspond to the notes of the open strings... e.g. e string 12th fret = e

a string 12th fret= a and so on.... then at the 13th the notes from fret 1 start and so on...