SHARP (MUSIC)

In music, 'sharp' means higher in pitch. More specifically, in musical notation, 'sharp' means "higher in pitch by a semitone (half step)," and has an associated symbol (), which looks somewhat like a "#" (number sign). The Unicode character '♯' (U+266F) may display as a sharp sign on some computers, and '' (U+1D12A) may display as a double sharp.
Under twelve-tone equal temperament, ''B sharp'' for instance sounds the same as, or is enharmonically equivalent to, ''C natural'', and ''G sharp'' is enharmonically equivalent to ''A flat''. Note that in any other tuning system, such enharmonic equivalences in general do not exist.
'Double sharps' also exist, which look like and raise a note by two semitones, or a whole step. Less often (in for instance microtonal music notation) one will encounter half, or three-quarter, or otherwise modified, sharps.
The note ''C sharp'' is shown in musical notation in Figure 1, together with ''C double sharp''.
Although very uncommon and only used in modern classical music, a 'triple sharp' can sometimes be found ( ). They raise a note three semitones.
In tuning, sharp can also mean "slightly higher in pitch". If two simultaneous notes are slightly out of tune, the higher-pitched one (assuming the lower one is properly pitched) is said to be sharp with respect to the other.

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See also

See also

★ Accidental

★ Flat