A flat (b) is a sign, placed immediately before a note, which lowers the pitch of that note by one semitone. Locate the following flats:
When an open string note is flattened, the new note must be located on the next lower string e.g.:
You will notice that it is possible for the same note (in pitch) to have two different names. For example, F# = Gb and G# = Ab. These are referred to as enharmonic notes. The following fretboard diagram outlines all of the notes in the first position on the guitar (including both names for the enharmonic notes). The first position consists of the open string notes and the notes on the first four frets.
Here are two octaves of the E chromatic scale, ascending using sharps and descending using flats.
As with sharps, flats are cancelled by a bar line or by a natural sign.
Be sure to observe the extensive use of #s and bs in this piece as well as the important left hand fingering.
Note: Also use of repeat signs and first and second time endings.
Note: Repeat signs will not always be observed in the CD recordings to follow.