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Topic: Naturals |
Andrew Goulet
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Posted 29 Aug 2020 5:42 pm |
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| I don't know much (almost nothing) about musical notation. I'm working my way through DeWitt Scott's book, and got to wondering why the natural sign exists? I understand it cancels out a previous sharp or flat in a measure, but why wouldn't you just write the note without the sharp or flat? The natural sign seems redundant, although I'm sure there's a reason. Can someone educate me? Thanks! |
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Brian Hollands
From:
Geneva, FL USA
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Posted 29 Aug 2020 5:49 pm
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The key signature is at the beginning of the staff so you don't put a sharp or flat in front of a note normally. For example, in G major the "F" line has a # on it. If you wanted to notate an F natural, you'd put the natural in front of it to note that in that instance you don't want the F# that the key signature is telling you to use.
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 29 Aug 2020 6:03 pm
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There are a bunch of conventions in play here. Definitely it is used to cancel a key signature sharp or flat. But another convention is that when an accidental (sharp or flat) is notated, the convention is to apply that accidental to that notated staff position for the remainder of the measure, or sometimes to that same note if it's tied to the next bar. So if you want to go from flatted or sharped back to the key signature note within the bar, you need to naturalize it.
There's plenty more, such as so-called courtesy accidentals - one use, for example, is to remind the reader that note is naturalized starting at the next measure.
It's also true that these conventions vary depending on the style of music. The general goal is to use as few accidentals as possible.
I consider standard musical notation to be a bit serpentine. It's really a language all its own, with different musical cultures adopting different conventions and idioms. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 30 Aug 2020 2:16 am
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and also consider that the person actually writing the book for Dewitt, putting into final publication, thought it may be important for a beginner. Its not a right or wrong, it just IS. One book writer's opinion or maybe "wisdom".
How many times have we heard " I need to remind you that xxx..." Married guys hear this a few times each day ! 
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 30 Aug 2020 4:14 am
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Our musical notation was devised at a time when ink and paper were expensive, so it has a conciseness that mathematicians should appreciate as well as musicians.
Any apparently superfluous signs are there for the avoidance of doubt in a live situation.
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