G# or Ab

[Megan]

Coming down from a D then B then G# . Why isn't the G# an Ab ?








Sorry about the other illustration I don't know how to delete it.

[Peter]

It is all to do with harmony - that passage is passing through A minor which has a G# as its sharpened 7th (think of the A minor scale).

[Megan]

Ah, that's intersting, now I've worked it out, I see what you mean thanks for explaining Peter. I feel quite clever now, though I'm sure there will be plenty more challenges along the way.

[Peter]

I'm glad that helped - you're very much on the right lines once you start thinking harmonically and analytically, as this really helps to understand music on a deeper level and we start thinking like the composer.

[Chris]

My music teachers were constantly frustrated by these kinds of questions from me. Sadly, the element of composing was lost from music lessons at some point.

[Peter]

My music teachers were constantly frustrated by these kinds of questions from me. Sadly, the element of composing was lost from music lessons at some point.

That's a shame Chris - I always say to my pupils that music is so logical, it all makes sense once you understand the rules! For example when they are very young and can only play one or two scales, rather than let them learn them from music, I always show them how the scales are constructed and once they understand semitones and tones I get them to work them all out for themselves, under my guidance of course! Same with the fingering, I show them that although there are many scales to learn, actually on the piano we only have 3 fingering groups - so again they learn the fingering this way, rather than reading it off the page.