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Accidentals, the principal name

Now we know our diatonic scales and we know our key signatures. We are ready to believe that F# is more common than Gb. The more common a name the more familiar it is to us. The common name is the principal name.

Recall how 9 of our 12 notes have two names.

Well let us do some detective work. How many key signatures is F# in? 7. How many key signatures is Gb in? 3. F# is the principal name of the F# / Gb enharmonic pair.

Enharmonic names	The enharmonic name that appears in the greater number of key signatures is the principal name		Principal name
B# C	B# is in 1 key signature	C is in 7 key signatures	C
C# Db	C# is in 6 key signatures	Db is in 4 key signatures	C#
D			D
D# Eb	D# is in 4 key signatures	Eb is in 6 key signatures	Eb
E Fb	E is in 7 key signatures	Fb is in 1 key signature	E
F E#	F is in 7 key signatures	E# is in 2 key signatures	F
F# Gb	F# is in 7 key signatures	Gb is in 3 key signatures	F#
G			G
G# Ab	G# is in 5 key signatures	Ab is in 5 key signatures	Ab
A			A
A# Bb	A# is in 3 key signatures	Bb is in 7 key signatures	Bb
B Cb	B is in 7 key signatures	Cb is in 2 key signatures	B

 

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