How do I put the 'b' into use?

[benjinca]

Hi, I wondered if anyone could help me?  I'm only just starting to learn to play myself, and am about half way through The Moonlight Sonata.  There is a sign that looks like a 'b' next to some of the notes which is a flat, but how do I actually alter the pitch of the note I am playing to get it a half-step below?  I hope I am making sense!  Can you help?

Benjinca

[88keys]

But there isn't a single flat in the 1st movement of the Moonlight Sonata! On the other hand, this piece has plenty of sharps and double-sharps... Is there something important you forgot to mention?

Anyway, let me give you a hint as of how to play a flat:

If you already know how to play a "sharp", than a playing "flat" follows the same idea only towards the other direction of the piano keyboard.

Here is another hint: use the black keys.

[selsa]

I have a question also about the Moonlight Sonata. Now, it hasn't been a problem to learn the piece, but there is a B flat a few bars into the first movement. Why didn't they represent that by just  C? It's the same thing.

[selsa]

Correction: Bsharp, not flat.

I have a question also about the Moonlight Sonata. Now, it hasn't been a problem to learn the piece, but there is a B sharp a few bars into the first movement. Why didn't they represent that by just  C? It's the same thing.

[88keys]

Granted, a B# and a C indeed SOUND the same, but the two notations differ in their musical MEANING.

If you look closely at the example in the Moonlight Sonata, you'll see that the note in questions functions as the 7th note of the C# major scale (the triplet G#,B#,F# serves as the chord G#7). And the 7th note of the C# major scale is B#, not C:

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

Note that the 3rd note of this scale is E#, and calling it 'F' would be musically wrong, for similar reasons to the explanation above.

[dinosaurtales]

Yes, 88keys is correct - it is a B#, and it needs to be that, rather than a C.  I went through the same discussion with my husband, who was learning the exact same thing, but he wouldn't listen to my "key signature/scale" discussion, so all he got out of it was "you'll understand someday"

He gets it now!  Ha!