I'm a music newbie, so go easy, I've still got much to learn:
On the piano, what's the diff between F# major (F# - G# - A#) and G-flat (F# - G# - A#)?
2006-09-26 07:26:47 · 5 answers · asked by Rob 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
I think your question has already been answered but I hope you don't mind my giving you some more details. For practical purposes they are the same, as danj put it. Soon you will be learning the key signatures and you'll see that that has to do with how you build the chords. Different points of view. It will be useful to know both (Gb and F#). Trust me.
Now, why is that so? This hasn't always been the case. Our instruments are tuned in a way so that all semitones have the same value. In other words, the distance (in sound) between the notes is always the same. Our tuning system is based on semitones. They are a unit we chose to standardize things. In the past, during the Renaissance, for example, the tuning system was not based on semitones, which meant that not all semitones measured the same. At that time, and before, Gb was one thing, F# was another. To put it simply: these things we now call enharmonics (same note, different names, like Gb and F#) were once, for the Greeks, for example, different notes, different names.
Take care!
2006-09-26 07:46:49 · answer #1 · answered by Dave 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can explain it in just a few words. For any major chord, start with the note that is the name of the chord, then go up 4 half steps (counting all notes equally, black and white) and play that note, then go up 3 half steps and play that note. For minor chords, first go up 3 half steps, then go up 4 half steps. That works for all of them. After you figure out the notes for a chord, you can change the order of the notes and it's still the same chord, but it's called an inversion. For example, instead of playing C, E, and G, you can play E, then G and C and it's still C chord.
2016-03-27 11:25:37 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's no difference, practically speaking. What you call it simply depends on what key you're playing in. If you're playing in the key of B, for example, you'd call it an F# major chord. If you were playing in Db, it would be a Gb Major chord.
By the way, if you call it an F# major chord, you spell it F# A# C#. A Gb major chord is spelled Gb Bb Db. Same keys, same sound, different names. All depends on context.
2006-09-26 07:36:22 · answer #3 · answered by τεκνον θεου 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nothing... They are called enharmonics.
2006-09-26 07:28:03 · answer #4 · answered by Christina 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Believe it or not, they are the same thing.
2006-09-26 07:34:51 · answer #5 · answered by ashcatash 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋