why are there no Fb, E#, B#, Cb notes?

Question

I've just started teaching myself to read music, and have come to the conclusion the it would be a whole lot easier if "they" had included these notes to create a tone between all the notes from A - A, having semitones between the letters. I know that Fb = E# and b# = Cb. It would have made more sense.

I don't think I explained it properly.
if you play all 12 notes from A - A it goes like this:
A - A#/Bb - B - C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A. Each dash represents a semi-tone. My question asks why these notes do not exist, is it because there only exists these 12 notes? Why not have the notes go A - A#/Bb - B - B#/Cb - C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - E#/Fb - F - F#/Ab - A , and do away with "G"? I know that in the end I am just going to have to accept it and learn, but for me, I'm teaching myself, which is difficult enough.

Answer 1

Ok. The notes you claim don't exist actually do! Flat signs lower a note a semitone, and sharp signs raise them a semitone. So Fb is the same sound as an E, E# is the same sound as an F; B# is the same sound as C and Cb is the same sound as B. With me so far?

Contrary to what you have put, therefore, Fb does NOT = E#!! A semitone is actually a mathematically measurable difference in the sound frequency of any given notes. E is the same "distance" away in terms of sound/frequency from F as it is from D#/Eb. So, you can't create a tone between all of the notes which have just letter names, as the keyboard has been layed out in such a way as to make this impossible. As E and F are already only a semitone apart, what do you propose putting in between them?


So, on a keyboard, where there appear to be "missing" black notes, there aren't. This is just to do with the layout that was designed to make the instrument easier to play in the first place!


Hmm, what else? Oh yeah - just to confuse the issue, sounds do exist between the twelve semitones you get on a standard keyboard, they are just not used in western musical traditions. Indian music, for example, uses "microtones", which are half a semitone away from each other. The human voice is capable of singing in this way.

Perhaps I've helped, perhaps I've confused you even more. If you want me to clarify, post a comment and I can come back and edit my answer.

Answer 2

Lotsa guys r misunderstandin ur quest dude. N lemme tell ya ... The human voice is capable of makin only the notes that r mentioned in the keyboard or piano. C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B. These r the only possible notes that a human can sing with. U jus can't sing in a E#... n the same applies to all the other notes that u r tryin to add up in ur keys :) To prove this there's a simple experiment. Pick up a guitar tuner. Try makin diff notes. u would end up gettin only the notes that u find on the keys. U wouldn't get any notes that isn't there. Don't try it.... i tried with the tuner for almost a day..... when i was stoned.. didn't get any sound that fell between E n F. The same applies for B n C. If u still can't believe what i say.. jus think that the guy who invented the piano or musical keyboard was a F.U.C.K.I.N racist. N he wanted the Whites to b the majority :) In fact the white keys r called as Major keys n Dark keys r called as Minor keys.

Answer 3

There are notes between each note. It would be pointless to have Fb when E# already exists because it's the exact same note. On the piano the Fb key is also the E# key. In some instances a music score will actually flatten F instead of sharpening E to achieve the same goal.

In reading music you read Fb the exact same way you'd read E#. They're both half-way between E and F.

Answer 4

It depends on what key the music is in. In one key the notation will be Dsharp but the same note can be Eb in another key. And if there is a particualar sharp or flat in the piece it will say next to the note, even if it is for Cb for example.

Answer 5

Most composers just use the enharmonic name for notes, ie instead of having A#, it's called Bb which as you know is the same note.

Answer 6

There are such notes, it all depends on what key you are in. For example, Fb is the enharmonic equiivelent on E, G flat is Fsharp etc

Answer 7

All the sounds are accounted for. They just go by different names.

Answer 8

if i understood what you were on about it would make more sense ?? sorry i cant help but i read your question.