Flats
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.
This song introduces first and second endings (see line 6). On the first time through, ending one is played, as indicated by the bracket: Z The section of music is then repeated (go back to the beginning of line 5) and on the second time ending two is played. Be careful not to play both endings together.
If you are playing the chords to this song it is easier to play the Gb7, F7 and B chords as bar chords. To learn how to play bar chords see Progressive Guitar Method: Bar Chords .
