How long do accidentals last

If the same note was later repeated in the bar, then the accidental had to be given again in order to be further valid. Even the reverse is revealing. Bach does not have to notate any kind of accidental where in the modern edition the one-time accidental that is not supposed to be valid for the entire measure has to be annulled again.

Henle records this measure as follows again to be read in the bass clef :. Likewise in m. Why then does the Henle edition HN raise a question at both places? In the 5 th invention in E-flat major, left hand of m. Did Bach here also feel that the accidental lasted for the entire measure? The question of the duration of accidentals is not at all answered so easily as it would appear.

Surely the question is more complex than this? What happens if a note with an accidental is tied to the same note in the following bar? Surely in this case the note in the following bar is the same as the one in the first bar sharpened or flattened by the accidental? And what happens if you have an F in one bar, tied to an F in the following bar, then the end of the tie, and later in the bar another F?

Is this sharpened, or not? Dear Rowan, thank you for adding these examples! So there is no repetition of the accidental necessary. The sharp raises the note by a half step. The flat does the opposite. It lowers the pitch by half a step. Sharps and flats are usually the black keys on a piano see the diagram below.

There are times in music that you will need to cancel a sharp or flat. For that, we use a sign called the natural. The natural restores a note to its original pitch. In the example below, note A sharp the first note in the music is restored to its original note A by the placement of the natural in front of it. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Do accidentals last for the entire measure? Asked 3 years, 8 months ago. Active 3 years, 8 months ago. Viewed 17k times. Improve this question. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes.