What does a flat sign (♭) 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 accidental
cancels the previous accidental
lowers the note by one whole step
lowers the note by one half step
A flat sign (♭) lowers the note by one half step.
The correct answer is: lowers the note by one half step.
To understand what a flat sign (♭) does to a note, you need to understand the concept of musical intervals. In music theory, an interval refers to the distance between two pitches. In Western music, there are 12 different pitches within an octave, referred to as the 12 chromatic pitches.
Each pitch within the chromatic scale is separated by a half step or semitone. So, when you lower a pitch by a half step, you are moving it one step closer to the previous pitch.
A flat sign (♭) is used as an accidental to indicate that a note should be lowered by a half step. For example, if the original note is C, then if you add a flat sign before it (♭C), it becomes C♭, meaning you lower the pitch of C by a half step.
So, in the context of the question, a flat sign (♭) lowers the note by one half step.