The Order of Sharps
Father Charles Goes Down and Ends Battle
It might sound like an epic secret organisation, but The Order of Sharps is actually a handy mnemonic for remembering which order the sharps progress in.
In music we use special symbols called sharps to tell us to play certain notes higher or sharper. It’s like a secret code that musicians use to read and play music.
The order of sharps tells us which notes get sharper as we go along. It starts with the note F, then adds another sharp to make it F#. The next adds another sharp to make it C#, and so on.
So, remembering Father Charles Goes Down and Ends Battle, helps us to remember the order which notes need the sharps and in what order they come in.
F# C# G# D# E# B#
Other rhymes or mnemonics for remembering the Order of Sharps include:
- Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds
- Father Christmas Gave Dad An Electric Blanket
The Order of Flats
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Similar to the Order of Sharps, the Order of Flats is another secret code for musicians to remember which flat notes to play in a song.
It helps them know which keys on the piano or which strings on a guitar should be pressed down to make a nice sound.
The Order of Flats goes like this: B (Bb), E (Eb), A (Ab), D (Db), G (Gb), C (Cb), F. So when musicians see these letters, they know exactly what to do and play the right notes!
B E A D G C F
Other rhymes or mnemonics for remembering the Order of Flats include:
- BEAD Glass Crystal Falls
- BEAD, Greatest Common Factor
- Blanket Exploded And Dad Got Cold Feet