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Topic: Why is the sheet written this way (Moonlight Sonata 1st movement)?  (Read 1869 times)

Offline salim

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Why is the sheet written this way (Moonlight Sonata 1st movement)?
on: July 08, 2015, 03:14:12 PM
Moonlight Sonata 1st movement, the key signature shows to have C, D, F and G as sharps. In a few measures, there is a note for D with a sharp next to it.. it's played as D#, but shouldn't it be an E (since it has an accidental and the key signature with a sharp)? There are no oter Ds in the same measure that have the accidental cancelled so I'm a little confused..
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Offline dcstudio

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Re: Why is the sheet written this way (Moonlight Sonata 1st movement)?
Reply #1 on: July 08, 2015, 04:09:36 PM
no--it's a courtesy accidental-- because in mm 13-15 the D is natural--it's played as D#
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Offline michael_c

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Re: Why is the sheet written this way (Moonlight Sonata 1st movement)?
Reply #2 on: July 08, 2015, 05:50:22 PM
Accidentals are absolute, not relative. If you see a sharp in front of a D, it means D-sharp, no matter what the key signature is. Often an accidental is added as a reminder, as is the case here: as dcstudio says, it's a "courtesy accidental".
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Offline salim

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Re: Why is the sheet written this way (Moonlight Sonata 1st movement)?
Reply #3 on: July 08, 2015, 10:44:15 PM
Ahh ok, thanks!
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