Double Flats & Double Sharps

Good morning. This is Duane. Today, I’d like to take a one small subject. That subject is double sharps and double flats. You know what flat is, of course, like if you’re playing G and you go down half a step, that’s G flat. A flat is always a half a step lower. That’s F. What’s that? Normally, it’s E, but if you had a flat in front of F, you would play what looks like E, but it would have to be called F flat.

The opposite is true with sharps. That’s G, so that’s G sharp. A half step higher than the given note is a sharp, right? Again, if you’re playing in E and there’s a sharp in front of it, you’ play what looks like F, but it’s got to be called E sharp. You’re going to have white note sharps and flats as well as black key sharps and flats.

The subject today, though, is double sharps and double flats. A double sharp is a whole step above the note that’s indicated. In other words, if there’s a double sharp … a double looks like a fat X, by the way. It’s like a X, but fat. That’s D, that’s D sharp. D double sharp would be right there, wouldn’t it? You’re up a whole step from D.

Going the other way, that’s D, that’s D flat. Where would D double flat be if … in other words, if there was a double flat in front of D, where would you play it? That’s right. You would go down to what looks like C. You couldn’t call it C, you’d have to call it D double flat for reasons of key consistency.

Let’s take a couple more. Here’s A. Where’s A flat? Where’s A double flat? That’s A. Where’s A sharp? Where’s A double sharp? One more. G, where’s G sharp? Where’s G double sharp? G, where’s G flat. Where’s G double flat? Very simple concept. I want you to understand that. It can be confusing if you’re just starting out in music and you see those symbols, you know what in the world it means to do.

Let me just apply that to a chord. Let’s say that you have the G flat minor chord printed. It’s going to look like this: G flat, B double flat, and D flat. That’s the G flat minor chord, G flat minor. Why? Because that’s G flat major, so to lower the third half step, you go … you’re on a flat, o you have to go to a double flat. See that?

Enough for today. Thanks very much for being with me. If you enjoy this kind of thing and you find it helpful, come on over to PlayPiano.com and sign up for our free piano tips. They are free. We’ll see you there. Bye-bye for now.

Here is the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTVt8CktsHU
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