What does a natural sign (A natural sign has two vertical lines connected by two horizontal lines.A natural sign has two vertical lines connected by two horizontal lines. The top horizontal begins two-fifths of the way down the left vertical line and travels right about one-third the length of the vertical line at a slight upward angle to connect with the top of the right vertical. The bottom horizontal begins about two-fifths of the way down the right vertical line and travels left about one-third the length of the vertical at a slight downward angle to connect with the bottom of the left vertical.) do to a note?
(1 point)
Responses
raises the note by one half step
raises the note by one half step
lowers the note by one half step
lowers the note by one half step
cancels the previous or stated accidental
cancels the previous or stated accidental
lowers the note by one whole step
The correct answer is: cancels the previous or stated accidental
A natural sign cancels the previous or stated accidental.
A natural sign cancels the previous or stated accidental.
To understand this, let's first define what an accidental is. In music notation, an accidental is a symbol that alters the pitch of a note. There are three commonly used accidentals: sharp (#), flat (b), and natural (♮).
When a sharp or flat symbol is placed before a note, it raises or lowers the pitch of that note by one half step respectively. For example, if a note is written as C# (C sharp), it means that the pitch of the note C is raised by one half step.
However, if there is a need to cancel the effect of a previous accidental or a note that already has a sharp or flat in the key signature, a natural sign is used. The natural sign returns the note back to its natural pitch, cancelling any previous alteration. In other words, it neutralizes the sharp or flat symbol and returns the note to its original pitch.
For example, if a note is written as C# (C sharp) and is followed by a C♮ (C natural), it means that the pitch of the note C is initially raised by one half step (to C#), but then canceled out to return to the natural pitch (C).
So, in short, a natural sign cancels any previous alteration to a note, whether it is a sharp, flat, or a note in the key signature.