Musical symbols question. In measure 27 of Moonlight Sonata there are two x's in front of the d's in

Question

the bass cleff. What do these mean? They also occur in front of two f's in measure 34. Anyone know what these symbols are?

Answer 1

(I think you misread the notes in the bass clef, measure 27 - those are Fs, not Ds.)

The 'X' is known as a double sharp, and it is used when you want a note with a sharp to be, well, sharper - it's the equivalent of playing the note a tone higher. There are special circumstances where it is incorrect to write a plain G, for example - you simply MUST write an F double sharp. These circumstances are governed by music theory - dull, pedantic pedagogy, but I'm a theory teacher, so I have to shoot myself in the foot here.

Answer 2

An (x) in front of a note is a double sharp, you raise the note a whole step instead of just a half step like you would with a regular sharp! Good Luck with that beautiful piece :) !!!! By the way those aren't D's they are F's.

Answer 3

they are double sharps, so instead of playing F#, you will play these note's as G. Why didn't Beethoven just write G, if that's the note he wanted? He was thinking in about the song in a theoretical way, like one chord leads to another, and this sort of chord has to lead to this other chord. There are tons of rules that Beethoven knew, and you'll learn someday, that really means very little for you right now except for this note equals G. Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Double Sharp. I hate those things. :( I always have to mark my music so that I'll remember to play it correctly. ;)

Answer 5

the x is a double sharp .. so a d becomes e