Question #1

In the theory section, on the constructing major scales page, on the answers page..., I found answer to the Gb major scale shown as: Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb I thought that there was no such thing as a Cb note, shouldn't that be a B instead?

Answer

Actually there is a Cb, it just sounds exactly like a B. In a Gb major scale it is written as a Cb When you are spelling a Gb major scale you would not want to write it like this (Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F Gb), you want every letter represented. So instead of B, you would write Cb Also if you look at the F# major scale ( F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#) there is an E# for the same reason. When a note sounds the same but is spelled different, the notes are called enharmonic (same note just called two different names). This is the same for C# Db, F# Gb etc., they are the exact same note, just written differently. What name you call a note by depends on the context. For example a Gb major and F# major scale are really just the same notes but they are "spelled" different. Most of the time when you are playing, or just naming notes on the fretboard there is not a good reason to call a note Cb,B#,Fb, or E#. But in music theory, in the context of specific chords and scales, it makes a difference.

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