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<a name="Accidentals"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Note-names-in-other-languages.html#Note-names-in-other-languages">Note names in other languages</a>,
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Relative-octave-entry.html#Relative-octave-entry">Relative octave entry</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Writing-pitches.html#Writing-pitches">Writing pitches</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Accidentals</h5>
<p><a name="index-accidental-32"></a><a name="index-key-signature-33"></a><a name="index-clef-34"></a>
<!-- duplicated in Key signature and Accidentals -->
<p><table class="cartouche" summary="cartouche" border="1"><tr><td>
<b>Note:</b> New users are sometimes confused about accidentals and
key signatures. In LilyPond, note names are the raw input; key
signatures and clefs determine how this raw input is displayed.
An unaltered note like <code>c</code> means ‘C natural’,
regardless of the key signature or clef. For more information,
see <a name="index-Accidentals-and-key-signatures-35"></a><a href="../lilypond-learning/Accidentals-and-key-signatures.html#Accidentals-and-key-signatures">Accidentals and key signatures</a>.
</td></tr></table>
<p><a name="index-note-names_002c-Dutch-36"></a><a name="index-note-names_002c-default-37"></a><a name="index-sharp-38"></a><a name="index-flat-39"></a><a name="index-double-sharp-40"></a><a name="index-sharp_002c-double-41"></a><a name="index-double-flat-42"></a><a name="index-flat_002c-double-43"></a><a name="index-natural-sign-44"></a><a name="index-natural-pitch-45"></a>
A <var>sharp</var> pitch is made by adding <code>is</code> to the note
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 Dutch note naming conventions. To use other names
for accidentals, see <a href="Note-names-in-other-languages.html#Note-names-in-other-languages">Note names in other languages</a>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
ais1 aes aisis aeses
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../20/lily-ece67e19.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../20/lily-ece67e19.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A natural will cancel the effect of an accidental or key
signature. However, naturals are not encoded into the note name
syntax with a suffix; a natural pitch is shown as a simple note
name:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
a4 aes a2
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ea/lily-ae3ecbe2.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ea/lily-ae3ecbe2.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-quarter-tones-46"></a><a name="index-semi_002dflats_002c-semi_002dsharps-47"></a>
Quarter tones may be added; the following is a series of Cs with
increasing pitches:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
ceseh1 ces ceh c cih cis cisih
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../b2/lily-51a090ab.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../b2/lily-51a090ab.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-accidental_002c-reminder-48"></a><a name="index-accidental_002c-cautionary-49"></a><a name="index-accidental_002c-parenthesized-50"></a><a name="index-reminder-accidental-51"></a><a name="index-g_t_003f-52"></a><a name="index-g_t_003f-53"></a>
<a name="index-cautionary-accidental-54"></a><a name="index-parenthesized-accidental-55"></a><a name="index-g_t_0021-56"></a><a name="index-g_t_0021-57"></a>
<p>Normally accidentals are printed automatically, but you may also
print them manually. A reminder accidental can be forced by
adding an exclamation mark <code>!</code> after the pitch. A
cautionary accidental (i.e., an accidental within parentheses) can
be obtained by adding the question mark <code>?</code> after the
pitch. These extra accidentals can also be used to produce
natural signs.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
cis cis cis! cis? c c c! c?
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../f4/lily-51f98c28.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../f4/lily-51f98c28.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-accidental-on-tied-note-58"></a><a name="index-tied-note_002c-accidental-59"></a>
Accidentals on tied notes are only printed at the beginning of a
new system:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
cis1 ~ cis ~
\break
cis
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../5e/lily-42ef5b08.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../5e/lily-42ef5b08.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Preventing extra naturals from being automatically added</em>
<p>In accordance with standard typesetting rules, a natural sign is
printed before a sharp or flat if a previous accidental on the same
note needs to be canceled. To change this behavior, set the
<code>extraNatural</code> property to "false" in the <code>Staff</code> context.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
aeses4 aes ais a
\set Staff.extraNatural = ##f
aeses4 aes ais a
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../cf/lily-620ab7b3.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../cf/lily-620ab7b3.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Music Glossary:
<a name="index-sharp-60"></a><a href="../music-glossary/sharp.html#sharp">sharp</a>,
<a name="index-flat-61"></a><a href="../music-glossary/flat.html#flat">flat</a>,
<a name="index-double-sharp-62"></a><a href="../music-glossary/double-sharp.html#double-sharp">double sharp</a>,
<a name="index-double-flat-63"></a><a href="../music-glossary/double-flat.html#double-flat">double flat</a>,
<a name="index-Pitch-names-64"></a><a href="../music-glossary/Pitch-names.html#Pitch-names">Pitch names</a>,
<a name="index-quarter-tone-65"></a><a href="../music-glossary/quarter-tone.html#quarter-tone">quarter tone</a>.
<p>Learning Manual:
<a name="index-Accidentals-and-key-signatures-66"></a><a href="../lilypond-learning/Accidentals-and-key-signatures.html#Accidentals-and-key-signatures">Accidentals and key signatures</a>.
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Automatic-accidentals.html#Automatic-accidentals">Automatic accidentals</a>,
<a href="Annotational-accidentals.html#Annotational-accidentals">Annotational accidentals</a>,
<a href="Note-names-in-other-languages.html#Note-names-in-other-languages">Note names in other languages</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Pitches.html#Pitches">Pitches</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-Accidental_005fengraver-67"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Accidental_005fengraver.html#Accidental_005fengraver">Accidental_engraver</a>,
<a name="index-Accidental-68"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Accidental.html#Accidental">Accidental</a>,
<a name="index-AccidentalCautionary-69"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/AccidentalCautionary.html#AccidentalCautionary">AccidentalCautionary</a>,
<a name="index-accidental_002dinterface-70"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/accidental_002dinterface.html#accidental_002dinterface">accidental-interface</a>.
<p><a name="index-accidental_002c-quarter_002dtone-71"></a><a name="index-quarter_002dtone-accidental-72"></a>
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>There are no generally accepted standards for denoting
quarter-tone accidentals, so LilyPond's symbol does not conform to
any standard.
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Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Relative-octave-entry.html#Relative-octave-entry">Relative octave entry</a>,
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