What is the Difference Between Sharps and Flats?

[@captainkangaroo4301]

You are correct that classical musicians hurt inside. It due to the inability or unwillingness to improvise.

[@seandaniel23]

It's up to us to nurture them :)

[@ccarnage556]

@Jeff Johansen Check out Yamandu Costa for classical shred. He often improvises.

[@HaryBane]

Sharps and flats are too confusing. To make it simple I just say, I am playing in the key of 261.63hz and the notes are 293.66hz, 329.63hz, 349.23hz, 392.00hz, 440.00hz, 493.88hz, and 523.25hz.

[@56dlp]

Alphabetical order, Sean. The notes are always in alphabetical order regardless if they are Majors or Minors containing Sharps or Flats. In your first example, it's not the third note C that causes the problem. You could have referred to that note as B# and continued with C#, D# and E# (The note F referred to as E#). The problem, is when you go from E# to the next note, which is supposed to be an F, but there is no F available because you've already used it as E#. F# and G are your only options and F# is not in the scale. Therefore, you would have to play the G note and refer to it as F##. To fix this, the scale is better off as Ab Major. Then you have Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G and Ab. All notes are represented and in alphabetical order with no flat-flats and certainly no sharp-sharps (Accidentals). And yes, I do have friends :)

[@JohnDAvery-tf4td]

56dlp - I have to agree with 56dip, Sean. The problem wasn't with the 3rd, but with the 7th. B# is in the C# major key signature and is therefore legitimate whereas F## (Fx) isn't in any key signature. It is used solely for enharmonic purposes. This isn't classical pedantry, either. B#, E#, Fb, and Cb are actually quite common in big band and concert band pieces in which C instruments are often in a minority and the others aren't written in concert pitch. I understand what you were trying to explain to your viewers, but starting off by playing the G# major scale was a bad example since the key of G# major doesn't even exist because it would require 8 sharps, one more sharp than there are notes in a diatonic scale. I have great respect for your knowledge and your skills as both a guitarist and guitar teacher, my friend, and appreciate that you are trying to keep it simple for those who are unfamiliar with music theory. But by using a scale that doesn't exist in practice to illustrate how B# isn't represented in the scale, you have perpetuated an all too common misconception.

[@G00N3YC4NG]

Thanks for taking them time to write this out, both of you. A shame Sean hasn't replied.

[@zombieregime]

You may have friends, but are you fun at parties..... I am a blast at parties. I assume......

[@grapeskin9469]

lmfaoooo i’m a violist, and the classical musician burns killed me

[@seandaniel23]

:)

[@jazmine]

I've been doing music (and dancing) for years, but im embarrassed to say I don't know a lot of music theory because I never took the time to learn them. BUT THIS SKIT IN THE BEGINNING HAS ME IN TEARS!! thank you for all your videos! keeping them on replay for the next few months!

[@85funnyguy]

For guitar, it really just depends on how you learn the fret board. You either learn it with flats or sharps. I learned the A# cord as a Bb, but they're the same thing.

[@seandaniel23]

Yup, whatever helps you remember is fine :)

[@JohnDAvery-tf4td]

Ryan Maiese - No, there's more to it than that. For example, the key of A# major doesn't exist, so you can't have a chord built on the 1 3 5 of a non-existent scale.

[@jeopardybehrens3047]

I was teaching my brother bass, and he mentioned B#. That is the reason my brother is now dead 😂😂

[@victorymansions]

B# means sharp

[@jeopardybehrens3047]

@@victorymansions B# means C, it IS technically used on some scales because by definition each scale has to have some representation of every note, weather it be natural, sharp, flat, double sharp, or double flat, but some you'd need to call B# so that you don't have to have no B but two C's, but thats technical stuff and not at all based in functionality of reading music

[@AdrianVisan]

Wow, I love these videos. I've been looking at a lot of tutorials lately and most people go "I won't bore you with the theory", but I want to know the theory! Thanks for explaining everything so clearly :)

[@seandaniel23]

+Adrian-Florin Vișan Happy to help, let me know if you have questions!

[@ellenschwindt9611]

Thanks for your sense of humor!

[@seandaniel23]

Always!

[@philjames1019]

Hi Sean ... You were made for these types of tutorial videos. Accurate information + Humour = Enjoyable tutorials.... Happy Days!!

[@seandaniel23]

+Phil James Thanks for the kind words my man!

[@jsleith]

Thanks for the video! Another reason for calling a note E# vs. F (for example) is when transposition comes up. Say you're used to playing a song in E major, but you're playing with a singer with a high voice who wants to take it up a major second to F# major. The previous notes now all get bumped up a major second, so E->F#, F#->G#, G#->A#, A->B, B->C#, C#->D#, D#->E#. If you think of it as D# -> F instead of as D# -> E#, it disrupts the pattern and is less natural to think about.

[@seandaniel23]

+jsleith Right on man, thanks for adding to the discussion!

[@JohnBGood-ry9wj]

I always thought since there is a total of 12 notes why not use letters A-L to represent them all?.....then there would be no confusion on sharps or flats. Plus it would be cool to say ok follow me lads this next one is in the key of J.

[@trombonesarecool1]

In the little snippit in the beginning, you would say Bb. The reason why is because the FM scale has a flat (Bb) in it.

[@JonHollandTV]

So.....I've been watching your youtube lessons here brother Sean.....I predict ka-jillions of followers very soon. You found your niche (well....one of them anyway). Thumbs up! Hope all is good in your world.

[@seandaniel23]

+Jon Holland TV My man Jon, thanks for the kind words. Let me know if you have any good ideas for future videos.

[@snailart9214]

i like, get sharps and flats, but I don't "get" them, lol. Like, it doesn't just come instantly to me.

[@seandaniel23]

Just gotta stick with it!

[@snailart9214]

Sean Daniel ughhhh yeah I know. I signed up for a music fundamentals class, and it's going alright. Honestly, starting with piano instead of violin maybe would have saved me time. Still working through it, lol. This video was helpful though.

[@seandaniel23]

Yeah piano is probably the most visual instrument to help with that. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

[@Manuel-jr6op]

I am now more confused than when I came here :/

[@seandaniel23]

I apologize.

[@jcesaralb]

Loved your face at the beginning, you were like: R u srs m8 hahahaa

[@seandaniel23]

+Júlio César Albuquerque Sadly I make that face all too often. Thanks for watching!!

[@davidpeek2154]

I do understand the E# observation you pointed out but, I only read music when the piece is too difficult to sense by ear

[@wm.p.callahan979]

Like the explanation Sean! Got to share this with a couple of my buds. Thanks🎸

[@ThomasBerglundGuitar]

Great lesson! Solid and informative!

[@seandaniel23]

+Thomas Berglund Thanks, I'll keep em coming!

[@zombieregime]

One thing pedants of music theory/notation often never realize is what they are holding as a rigid ruleset by which one can craft music, is in actuality a language for conveying music without said music. Its effectively to describe something in a past tense kind of way. Sure you can use the rules to assemble something, but what if once you play it you discover something that sounds better to you that goes against the rule you used to make the thing you changed to the better sounding thing? Which is 'correct'? The notation ruleset, or the thing that sounds good? The thing that sounds good, obviously. Since the notation is meant to convey, "I know, it looks like it would suck, but play it in that signature and it sounds friggin awesome!!!"

[@watchtheskies]

It has always baffled me why we didn't chose one or the other and call that the standard, only sharps or only flats

[@canadianbattlebunny2875]

I love how his forst option was throw hands

[@scottrayford871]

I was a music major in college. Being a percussionist, our music is written on one line straight across which I can read all day . But what became difficult for me was reading the guitar parts, the piano parts, the horns , the bass line was even a separate line that you have to simultaneously read along with the snare part. AND THEN, trying to understand the difference between sharps flats, majors and minors. To me it becomes overwhelming. And then the band director looking at you like why are you not not playing your part? Somebody help me 🎵🎶.

[@bigbattenberg]

I am trying to not forget to "like" every one of your videos!

[@seandaniel23]

Man I appreciate it!

[@taylorjames184]

So, when you're writing, you need to fill all the "gaps" i.e. letters? dude that makes sooo much sense! Thank you a bunch, I've been confused for years haha. Five minutes and boom! I know it!

[@seandaniel23]

+Taylor Aldridge So cool to hear Taylor! Thanks for watching!

[@oddoutdoors]

I'm sure others have said this somewhere here, but E# isn't a thing because it screws up the scale. When you have to sharp a note that has no accidentals you should be using a flat key to avoid double sharps or sharps on notes with no accidentals. which are also not a thing. Same goes for flatting a note without accidentals. You should be in a sharp key instead. This is why sharps and flats exist. So they all fit into the 7 note key structure. So the real difference between when you use a sharp or a flat is dependent upon what key you're in. If you're in a "key" that has double sharps or flats or has a sharp or flat on a note that can only be natural you aren't in that key. You should be in a different key that has all 7 notes represented correctly. There is a lot of bad information on guitar out there, why waste time learning short cuts that make you fall short as a musician when you could use that time to learn theory? It's not that hard to learn the basics. Sorry, dude, just putting it out there.

[@Jake24378]

Very helpful video!

[@sorinsoria]

Hahah I was actually in that very same situation, I was barely starting to get into music theory and I was walking with my friend and I asked him why is there c flats? wouldnt it be easier just to say its a b? His only response was "it's just easier that way" i was like ummm k still very confused. I finally found the answer

[@JulienPaarmann]

You are awesome. Really informative and funny. maybe a tiny bit too fast for real beginners in theory. But I can just watch the video twice. keep it up!

[@seandaniel23]

+Julien Paarmann Thanks man, and remember, only Bro Down as a final resort.

[@losmosismedia3380]

Six in one hand, half dozen in the other. Classically trained musicians are often taught in flats. It's simply preference, like apple or android.

[@remikaremika1696]

Thanks for the sharing sir it helps alot

[@seandaniel23]

Happy to help!

[@yatoyato5160]

If you're going away from the body of guitar it's flat but if you're going near the body it's sharp

[@Emmanuel-wv3nn]

Best explanation I've watched.. thanks, great acting too :)

[@oddoutdoors]

G major contains one sharp, and that is F#. It must be F# because you need an F to complete the key. Thats why the key of G major is notated in the key signature with a # on the F. The key can't be notated with a key signature if you mix accidentals. If you notated G as a flat in G major you would have 2 G notes in the key and you can't notate a natural and an accidental of the same note while completing the key and having it make sense. Basically you would never know which G to play, a natural or a flat.

[@samuelkarlberg7773]

Can you explain why a violin player puts the fingers differently when playing the F# scale compared to the one in Gb. As a singer I have always felt the sharp (#) scales being harder to intonate and easier to sound flat on;)

[@vladymartinez1232]

I'm doing my music hw (I play guitar) and the teacher wants us to write the key signatures for each major scale and how many sharps and flats the scale has but I truly don't understand this

[@seandaniel23]

+Vlady Martinez Great question! I made a video on the circle of 5ths that should help you with this one :)

[@vladymartinez1232]

Sean Daniel thanks bro I'll watch it

[@storageunit2683]

circle of 5ths

[@サイ恩沢]

Sean is the BEST! Love your stuff!

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks so much Max!!

[@userenvy]

Im the closest to ever understanding... So is it like "its a quarter of 10" ... "Its 9:45" and the argument would be like "it cant be 10 because u can't call it that before it happens " but it doesn't really matter because its the same exact thing? Thats the closest analogy as im understanding it... Because, like u said... Everyone online does that "up and down" thing... Like they clock.

[@jimbaker2877]

Thanks, this helps!

[@allmycarsisbroke]

As with many things: the more I learn about music, the more it confuses me.

[@aaronelliott4002]

I watched this atleast 10 times and im still clueless 😤😤

[@seandaniel23]

Which part are you having trouble with? Best I can condense it is that any key has 7 notes, and each letter A-G represents a note. So like the Key of B, it's 2nd note is a C#, because if it were a Db (technically the same note), there wouldn't be a C-represented note. Hope that helps!

[@MikeDGuitar]

I didn't get it at first, but after seeing this reply I wrote down the seven degrees that are in the key of B: B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. If the second note in the B major scale was titled a Db instead of a C#, the key would then look like B, D, D, E, F, G, and A. From my understanding, the notes of B major should look like: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, and A#. I think that's it, ha ha. Again, another great lesson, Sean!

[@eienzero]

​@@seandaniel23 could you then just summarize it as ; if there's a "C" or "F" running "UP" the scale, then write it in "FLATS", if there's an "E" or "B" running "UP" the scale then write it in "SHARPS" and if you are going "DOWN" the scale then the opposite?? Did I get that right?

[@Henry-em6pb]

Lol this was very funny, I once had a similar experience in college

[@LautaroGalanCid]

Well, i'm lazy and TO ME it rolls easier out of the tongue the word sharp and it's spanish counterpart "sostenido", instead of flat or "bemol", idk why. Too lazy to change it now, ngl.

[@Voice-over-animals]

LOL that beginning made me burst out laughing

[@dmichaellewis]

I wanted so badly for this to make sense, but I just cannot be convinced that Flats need to exist for any reason at all.

[@thanhhuynh8292]

what do you mean by "pretend" ?

[@kurmyshaharris7367]

I love how this man made a whole skit to talk about flats Vs sharps. I sense he's still salty about something that happened 5 years ago

[@seandaniel23]

Old wounds

[@jadoaesra3011]

Here for ocarina learnin, but this works. +1.

[@BodieHammer]

G sharp = G +.5 in my math mind; ergo there is no F flat unless you admit the F - .5 makes sense.

[@marvinwilliamson811]

My perspective is sharps and flats are determined my the key you're in.

[@randysimmons9838]

I go along to get along

[@seandaniel23]

My man!

[@Prod._By_Kyoto_Beatz]

So sharps and flats are pretty much just major and minor

[@TRICK-OR-TREAT236]

DUDE ! IS THAT ONE OF THEM THAR TYLER GUITARS ?

[@seandaniel23]

Shore is!

[@mertcaglialtuncu7745]

Awesome...

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks for watching!

[@slsv19]

My guitar Hero! ✊

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks so much!

[@northernmonkey8652]

You are that guy

[@techgensu2039]

about to click away but 2:43 wow! haha

[@prantiikk]

yeahhhhh 🤘

[@masuxd]

He looks like if elvis the alien was a musician.

[@seandaniel23]

I've actually gotten that before.

[@lisamorris3640]

ouch! I hope my students don't find this video. Did you have to make the violin player the nerd that does not have any friends!

[@zanderzander3620]

This was great, been searching for "what is the frequency range of a piano?" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Penaycer Rudimentary Preponderance - (should be on google have a look ) ? It is an awesome exclusive product for discovering how to play the piano easily without the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my partner got excellent success with it.

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

FINALLY

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@sanjaymassey2374]

Maroon T-shirt too much crush

[@thebreathlessman3710]

just grow a beard and change the channel's name as pewdiepie

[@Oceansideca1987]

Hey classical musician my instrument is bigger than yours so back off lol

[@seandaniel23]

Well said!

[@sophiepan6067]

Boring blah blah blah

[@darrelldoran509]

Bro down , fuckin excellent .

[@googleyahoo-l9g]

You're feeding people too much information at once.