The natural symbol in music notation

[vishalicious]

Hi. I'm going through the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete book. So far, I really like it. I'm working on learning to read, and I'm about to complete the E string lessons.

I just did the lessons introducing sharps, flats and naturals and have a question. When a natural symbol is placed in a measure, does it make ALL of the following notes in that measure natural (cancelling sharps and flats) or is it just for the notes of the letter that it was placed in front of?

In other words, if I have an F# followed by a G# in a measure and there's a natural sign in front of the F#, does it make only the F#'s revert to F's or does it affect the G#'s too?

Thanks!

[elgecko]

Just the note(s) it's in front of...to the end of the measure (an F after the G# would also be natural).

[Elrend]

It would only affect the note it's written in front of.

[vishalicious]

Thanks, folks.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Elrend

It would only affect the note it's written in front of.

i believe it would extend to the end of the bar,unless the next F in the same bar had an incidental sharp in front of it

[uethanian]

as far as i know a natural is in effect on a note until the end of a measure...an accidental has to be added to 'cancel' the natural if it's within the same measure, even if the accidental is in the key signature.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Accidentals only affect the note of the line they are on. They take effect throughout one measure then are canceled. The only way to cancel an accidental before the measure ends is to write a new accidental.

[Pollinator95]

It also affects that same note in different octaves.
EDIT: This is WRONG. Correction by Otso underneath

[Otso]

Originally Posted by Pollinator95

It also affects that same note in different octaves

Accidentals only apply to the octave they are written for.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Originally Posted by Otso

Accidentals only apply to the octave they are written for.

I have no idea where you learned that, but I have never once heard that in all my years of formal training I received.

[thedevilisbad]

Accidentals always last through the rest of the measure.

[Otso]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

I have no idea where you learned that, but I have never once heard that in all my years of formal training I received.

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Accidentals only affect the note of the line they are on. They take effect throughout one measure then are canceled. The only way to cancel an accidental before the measure ends is to write a new accidental.

Did you quote the wrong person or how come you seem to be contradicting yourself?
In the key signature accidentals affect all octaves.

[SamanthaCay]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

I have no idea where you learned that, but I have never once heard that in all my years of formal training I received.

I could also be wrong but I think Otso may be right.
For example if you where to right a chord with a low f# and a high f in the same chord you would need the accidental to stay with the octave to avoid righting out two separate accidentals.

[Schlyder]

accidental only lasts to the end of the BAR line, unless tied.... and I did find that the accidental is for the LINE the note is played on only, not the octave.

[Otso]

Originally Posted by Schlyder

accidental only lasts to the end of the BAR line, unless tied.... and I did find that the accidental is for the LINE the note is played on only, not the octave.

What I meant by being for the octave they are written for, is for example the octave from c to c'. If there is a sharp for the f the same sharp doesn't apply to f'.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Originally Posted by Otso

Did you quote the wrong person or how come you seem to be contradicting yourself?
In the key signature accidentals affect all octaves.

No, I said they only affect the note of the line they are on. If a sharp in on an F line, it affects the F note, of all octaves. I guess I didn't word it right the first time.

[Otso]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

No, I said they only affect the note of the line they are on. If a sharp in on an F line, it affects the F note, of all octaves. I guess I didn't word it right the first time.

Only in the key signature.

[uethanian]

some seem to be mixing up accidentals with key signature. a natural acts like an accidental flat or sharp, and is in effect to the end of the measure (unless negated) only on a single pitch, not duplicate octaves. the flats and sharps in the key signature apply to all octaves...but dropping a flat/sharp in the key signature is not using a natural, it's modulating the key. sometimes composers/arrangers will put a natural symbol in the key signature at a modulation just to make it really obvious, but AFAIK this isn't 'proper' writing

[JTE]

A. It can't be an "accidental" if it's in the key signature, so an F# in the key signature holds for the entire piece in all octaves unless superceded by a real accidental.
B. A sharp, flat, or natural in the staff (not in the key signature) applies to ALL the notes in that measure unless canceled by another accidental.
C. Having a chord with an F and an F# while possible, generally wouldn't be handled by using an accidental for one octave and a natural sign for another octave- instead it would show one as and F and the other as Gb, or one as E# and the other as F natural- this just avoids confusion.

John

[Otso]

Originally Posted by uethanian

some seem to be mixing up accidentals with key signature. a natural acts like an accidental flat or sharp, and is in effect to the end of the measure (unless negated) only on a single pitch, not duplicate octaves. the flats and sharps in the key signature apply to all octaves...but dropping a flat/sharp in the key signature is not using a natural, it's modulating the key. sometimes composers/arrangers will put a natural symbol in the key signature at a modulation just to make it really obvious, but AFAIK this isn't 'proper' writing

It is "proper" writing to cancel the previous key signature accidentals that don't apply to the new key with natural symbols before the new key signature.