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<a name="Accidentals-and-key-signatures"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Ties-and-slurs.html#Ties-and-slurs">Ties and slurs</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Single-staff-notation.html#Single-staff-notation">Single staff notation</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h4 class="subsection">2.2.1 Accidentals and key signatures</h4>
<h4 class="subheading">Accidentals</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-sharp-67"></a><a href="../music-glossary/sharp.html#sharp">sharp</a>, <a name="index-flat-68"></a><a href="../music-glossary/flat.html#flat">flat</a>, <a name="index-double-sharp-69"></a><a href="../music-glossary/double-sharp.html#double-sharp">double sharp</a>,
<a name="index-double-flat-70"></a><a href="../music-glossary/double-flat.html#double-flat">double flat</a>, <a name="index-accidental-71"></a><a href="../music-glossary/accidental.html#accidental">accidental</a>.
<p>A <var>sharp</var> pitch is made by adding <code>is</code> to the name,
and a <var>flat</var> pitch by adding <code>es</code>. As you might
expect, a <var>double sharp</var> or <var>double flat</var> is
made by adding <code>isis</code> or <code>eses</code>. This syntax is derived
from note naming conventions in Nordic and Germanic languages,
like German and Dutch. To use other names for
<var>accidentals</var>, see <a name="index-Note-names-in-other-languages-72"></a><a href="../lilypond/Note-names-in-other-languages.html#Note-names-in-other-languages">Note names in other languages</a>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
cis1 ees fisis, aeses
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ba/lily-d9ce1484.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ba/lily-d9ce1484.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-key-signature_002c-setting-73"></a>
<h4 class="subheading">Key signatures</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-key-signature-74"></a><a href="../music-glossary/key-signature.html#key-signature">key signature</a>, <a name="index-major-75"></a><a href="../music-glossary/major.html#major">major</a>,
<a name="index-minor-76"></a><a href="../music-glossary/minor.html#minor">minor</a>.
<p>The <var>key signature</var> is set with the command <code>\key</code>
followed by a pitch and <code>\major</code> or <code>\minor</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\key d \major
a1
\key c \minor
a
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../5c/lily-aab738f0.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../5c/lily-aab738f0.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<pre class="sp">
</pre>
<h4 class="subheading">Warning: key signatures and pitches</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-accidental-77"></a><a href="../music-glossary/accidental.html#accidental">accidental</a>, <a name="index-key-signature-78"></a><a href="../music-glossary/key-signature.html#key-signature">key signature</a>,
<a name="index-pitch-79"></a><a href="../music-glossary/pitch.html#pitch">pitch</a>, <a name="index-flat-80"></a><a href="../music-glossary/flat.html#flat">flat</a>, <a name="index-natural-81"></a><a href="../music-glossary/natural.html#natural">natural</a>, <a name="index-sharp-82"></a><a href="../music-glossary/sharp.html#sharp">sharp</a>,
<a name="index-transposition-83"></a><a href="../music-glossary/transposition.html#transposition">transposition</a>.
<p>To determine whether to print an <var>accidental</var>, LilyPond
examines the pitches and the <var>key signature</var>. The key
signature only affects the <em>printed</em> accidentals, not the
note's <var>pitch</var>! This is a feature that often causes
confusion to newcomers, so let us explain it in more detail.
<p>LilyPond makes a sharp distinction between musical content and
layout. The alteration (<var>flat</var>, <var>natural sign</var> or
<var>sharp</var>) of a note is part of the pitch, and is therefore
musical content. Whether an accidental (a <em>printed</em> flat,
natural or sharp sign) is printed in front of the corresponding
note is a question of layout. Layout is something that follows
rules, so accidentals are printed automatically according to those
rules. The pitches in your music are works of art, so they will
not be added automatically, and you must enter what you want to
hear.
<p>In this example:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\key d \major
d cis fis
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../3a/lily-d64c63bb.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../3a/lily-d64c63bb.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">No note has a printed accidental, but you must still add
<code>is</code> and type <code>cis</code> and <code>fis</code> in the input file.
<p>The code <code>e</code> does not mean “print a black dot just on
the first line of the staff.” Rather, it means “there is a
note with pitch E-natural.” In the key of A-flat major, it
<em>does</em> get an accidental:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\key aes \major
e
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../83/lily-12bf7cfc.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../83/lily-12bf7cfc.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Adding all alterations explicitly might require a little more
effort when typing, but the advantage is that
<var>transposing</var> is easier, and accidentals can be printed
according to different conventions. For some examples how
accidentals can be printed according to different rules, see
<a name="index-Automatic-accidentals-84"></a><a href="../lilypond/Automatic-accidentals.html#Automatic-accidentals">Automatic accidentals</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference: <a name="index-Note-names-in-other-languages-85"></a><a href="../lilypond/Note-names-in-other-languages.html#Note-names-in-other-languages">Note names in other languages</a>,
<a name="index-Accidentals-86"></a><a href="../lilypond/Accidentals.html#Accidentals">Accidentals</a>, <a name="index-Automatic-accidentals-87"></a><a href="../lilypond/Automatic-accidentals.html#Automatic-accidentals">Automatic accidentals</a>,
<a name="index-Key-signature-88"></a><a href="../lilypond/Key-signature.html#Key-signature">Key signature</a>.
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-Pitch-names-89"></a><a href="../music-glossary/Pitch-names.html#Pitch-names">Pitch names</a>.
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