enharmonic
Differently notated equivalents
Enharmonic describes notes, intervals, or keys that sound identical but are written differently in musical notation.
F-sharp and G-flat are enharmonic equivalents—the same pitch spelled two ways.
The distinction matters for reading music and understanding harmonic relationships, even though the sounds are indistinguishable on a piano: The composer used an enharmonic change to shift from D-flat major to C-sharp minor.
Fine-edged, or astute
- flatLacking vertical variation
- accidentalOccurring by chance
- respellingRewriting with different letters
- notationSystem of written symbols
staff · clef · note · chromatic · diatonic · G-sharp · A-flat · C-sharp
Frequency of sound
- semitoneMinimum Western musical interval
- intervalDuration between two points
- octaveEight-note interval
- unisonSimultaneous identical action
transposition · keyboard · piano · fretboard · guitar · identical · respelling · chromatic scale
Shift in tonal center
- chromaticRelating to color
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- transitionChange from one state
- respellingRewriting with different letters
Inborn behavioral nature
- commaPunctuation marking pauses
- PythagoreanOf ancient Greek mathematics
- well-temperedHaving steady composure
- centsDollar subdivisions
intonation · hertz · Baroque · harpsichord
sharp
Fine-edged, or astute
- flatLacking vertical variation
- accidentalOccurring by chance
- respellingRewriting with different letters
notation · staff · clef · note · chromatic · diatonic · G-sharp · A-flat · C-sharp · D-flat
pitch
Frequency of sound
- semitoneMinimum Western musical interval
- intervalDuration between two points
- octaveEight-note interval
unison · transposition · keyboard · piano · fretboard · guitar · identical · respelling · chromatic scale · twelve-tone
key change
Shift in tonal center
- chromaticRelating to color
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- transitionChange from one state
respelling · Schubert · Chopin · deceptive
temperament
Inborn behavioral nature
- commaPunctuation marking pauses
- PythagoreanOf ancient Greek mathematics
- well-temperedHaving steady composure
cents · intonation · hertz · Baroque · harpsichord
enharmonicdiatonic
Seven-tone scale-based
chromatic · modulating · transposing · microtonal · stepwise
harmony, harmonious, harmonize, disharmony, harmonic, harmonium