Flat Signs
This is a flat sign.
When a flat sign is placed in front of a note, it lowers the pitch of the note by an interval known as one semitone or one half step. (For more information about tones and semitones, see Progressive Theory). The diagram below shows the fingering for the note B flat (Bb). Each time you see a flat sign in front of the note B, you will need to play this fingering.
The Note Bb
A flat sign is always placed before the note.
Like the sharp sign, the flat sign affects all B notes within the bar in which it appears. E.g.: in bars 1, 3 and 5 the b sign appears before the first B in each bar. The flat also applies to all other B notes within that particular bar. The effect of a flat sign is cancelled by a bar line, meaning that a new flat sign is needed to indicate a new Bb note in the following bar.
