Sharp_(music)

Figure 1. The notes C sharp and C double sharp on the treble clef.

Sharps: In music, sharp means higher in pitch. More specifically, in musical notation, sharp means "higher in pitch by a semitone (half step)," and has an associated symbol (♯), which looks somewhat like a "#" (number sign). The Unicode character \'♯\' (U+266F) may display as a sharp sign on some computers, and \'𝄪\' (U+1D12A) may display as a double sharp.

Under twelve-tone equal temperament, B sharp for instance sounds the same as, or is enharmonically equivalent to, C natural, and G sharp is enharmonically equivalent to A flat. Note that in any other tuning system, such enharmonic equivalences in general do not exist.

Double sharps also exist, which look like and raise a note by two semitones, or a whole step. Less often (in for instance microtonal music notation) one will encounter half, or three-quarter, or otherwise modified, sharps.

The note C sharp is shown in musical notation in Figure 1, together with C double sharp.

Although very uncommon and only used in modern classical music, a triple sharp can sometimes be found (♯ ). They raise a note three semitones.

order of sharps: Fat Cats Get Dizzy After Eating Birds

In tuning, sharp can also mean "slightly higher in pitch". If two simultaneous notes are slightly out of tune, the higher-pitched one (assuming the lower one is properly pitched) is said to be sharp with respect to the other.

See also

• Accidental
• Flat

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