Sharp (music) facts for kids
In music, when we say a note is sharp, it means it sounds a little bit higher in pitch. Think of it like taking a step up on a staircase. In written music, the sharp symbol looks like this: ♯. It tells a musician to play the note a tiny bit higher, specifically by what's called a semitone, which is also known as a half step.
Sometimes, a note that is sharp can sound exactly the same as another note that is "natural" (meaning not sharp or flat) or even "flat" (meaning lower). For example, a B sharp sounds just like a C natural. And a G sharp sounds like an A flat. This is because of how musical instruments are tuned, especially in what's called "twelve-tone equal temperament".
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What are Double and Triple Sharps?
Besides a regular sharp, there are also double sharps. These have a special symbol: 
. A double sharp makes a note two semitones higher, which is the same as a whole step. It's like taking two small steps up instead of just one.
Even more rarely, you might find a triple sharp. This symbol looks like ♯ . A triple sharp raises a note by three semitones. You usually only see these in very modern classical music.
How Sharps Affect Key Signatures
The Circle of fifths is a cool diagram that helps musicians understand how many sharps (or flats) are in a key signature. A key signature is a set of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music that tells you which notes will always be played sharp or flat unless changed.
What Does "Sharp" Mean in Tuning?
When musicians are tuning their instruments, "sharp" can also mean that a note is slightly too high in pitch. If two instruments play the same note, and one sounds a little higher than the other, the higher one is "sharp" compared to the other. It means it needs to be adjusted to be a bit lower to match perfectly.
Sharp Symbols in Computers
The sharp symbol (♯) has a special code in computers called Unicode, which is U+266F. The double sharp symbol (𝄪) is U+1D12A. Sometimes, older computers or certain fonts might not show these symbols correctly.
Related pages
- Flat (music)
- Electronic tuner
See also
In Spanish: Sostenido para niños
