Sharps and flats are musical symbols used in Western musical notation to indicate alterations to the pitch of a note. These alterations modify the natural pitch of a note by raising or lowering it by a semitone or half step.
A sharp (♯) placed before a note raises its pitch by a semitone. For example, if a note without any sharps is played on a piano key, playing the same note with a sharp would require moving one key to the right. This raises the pitch slightly, creating a higher tone.
On the other hand, a flat (♭) placed before a note lowers its pitch by a semitone. Using the same example as above, playing the note with a flat would require moving one key to the left, resulting in a slightly lower pitch.
Both sharps and flats can be either inherent to a key signature, where they affect all occurrences of a particular note, or they can be used as accidentals, modifying only a specific note within a given musical phrase.
Sharps and flats play a crucial role in melody, harmony, and key signatures, allowing for a more complex and nuanced musical expression. They are used in various genres of music, including classical, jazz, and contemporary music, as they enable composers and musicians to create intricate tonalities and express their desired emotions through the manipulation of pitch.
