Las alteraciones musicales

What Are Alterations in Music?

Understanding Natural and Altered Sounds

• Alterations are symbols that modify natural sounds in music. There are two types of sounds: natural (the notes of the musical scale) and altered.

• The first alteration discussed is the sharp (sostenido), which raises a natural sound by a semitone. The second is the flat (bemol), which lowers a natural sound by a semitone.

• The cancellation symbol (be cuadro) negates any alteration, returning the note to its original state without any modifications.

Purpose and Functionality of Alterations

• Alterations allow musicians to write sounds that would otherwise be impossible to notate, enabling them to read and perform these notes from sheet music.

• A close examination of the musical scale reveals how alterations affect specific notes, such as raising or lowering them by semitones.

Practical Examples with Notes

• Adding a sharp to the note "re" raises it by one semitone towards "mi," revealing hidden sounds between these notes that can only be expressed through alterations.

• Conversely, if a cancellation symbol is applied after a sharp, it negates the effect, returning "re" back to its natural state. If a flat is added instead, it lowers "re" by one semitone towards another note.