ABECK Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 My theory is a bit rusty - funny how these things slip when you don't use them. I'm trying to identify a notation symbol that I ran across which confuses me. The symbol is above a note in the bass cleff. There is a sharp above the note (not next to it) and above the sharp is what looks kind of like a slanted letter M or N, with a vertical line through it. Any insights on this one??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 It could be (?) another way of notating a Neopolitan Sixth chord. I always saw it as a N6 when I came across it in theory text books. That would be my guess. That sharp confuses the issue unless you are also reading music notated in 'figured bass'. In that case, the sharp would indicate that the third above the bass note would be sharped (because that sharp is not in the key signature). Would that make sense with your example? No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Fiala Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Could the sharp be a notation for a "tierce de picardie" type situation? (Playing a major tonic chord in a minor key, with the third of the chord sharpened, usually at the end of a section of the piece.) Not sure about the "n or m". Is it an ornament / trill like notation? Tom F. "It is what it is." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABECK Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 It's definately not a trill. In each instance, it appears over just one note, so it doesn't appear to be any indication of a chord type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 A mordent ... an ornament, a grace note or two before a note. The n or m is a wavy line, the line through that has meaning (I think a grace note below the principal note, but I could be wrong), and the sharp refers to the flavor of the ornament - C# instead of C, for example. I would see that all the time in Baroque music. My money is now on a mordent. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 google to the rescue (and no mention that I went over 1000 posts) .... mordent No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABECK Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 YES - THAT'S IT! Thanks so much (BTW it's in a Bach piece). Congrats on 1000! Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I love this forum! "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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