Apologies if this question has undoubtedly been asked previously. I’m on module 8, and now we are chord progressing in B flat and E Flat. Up to now we have been told, notes jump from E to F and B to C, with nothing in between. And now there’s a place on the fret board for these notes, what happened?
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E flat and B flat are not between E and F or B and C, they are the next note below them (i.e. between D and E and between A and B).
Most note pairs are a whole step apart and have a sharp/flat at the half step between them. B/C and E/F are exceptions and are a half step apart.
On the fretboard, most notes are two frets apart. E/F and B/C are one fret apart.
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Aha, yes of course. Thank you Howard.
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This trips most people up (and not just on bass).
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Just wait till someone tries to pretend that C Flat as a logical choice for a piece of music!
Yep, it’s a thing, though the explanation is simple. Every key must:
- contain every lettered note
- only contain it once
so some of the keys have their intervals falling on B, C, E, or F when there’s already a B, C, E, or F in the key. One of them has to go and become a sharp or flat of its buddy, even though it’s exactly the same tone. So, for example, Ab minor goes Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb.
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I know 
I mean I don’t know why anyone would write a piece in C Flat and not B Major unless they wanted to irritate the musicians they’re giving it to!!! I find it more of a theoretical key.
When I was at college, I knew someone who would transpose pieces into C Flat or F Flat under the impression it would irritate the tutors!!!
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I bet it did 
The national anthem for Biden’s inauguration was in Gb (not quite as “bad” as Cb, but not too far away). I guess it was a choice based on fitting Lady Gaga’s range best.
Still, in Gb (6 flats), there is no B, so it can only be notated as Cb if you wanted the note that sounds like B. E.g., there are some nice slash chords like Db7/Cb and Gb/Cb in the arrangement. And even a Cbm/Ebb (yep, a double flat). Check out the whole anlaysis (if interested) by Adam Neely:
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Yeah, G Flat falls into the same category for me! 
Thinking about it it’s probably more annoying because F# is also difficult to write and there isn’t an easier enharmonic substitute like there is with C Flat and B Major.
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Yes, F# or Gb are equally annoying/”crazy” keys.
I am sure (if so inclined), one could go down the rabbit hole and find reasons for using either one or the other, and likely it has to do with intonation and temperament, and whether arranged for brass bands or orchestras and so on.
Just a little “nitpicking” here: it’s probably better to call it “B natural” here 
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Always like a good nitpick!
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Unless, of course, the “major” applied to both Cb and B. Anyhoo… one can go nuts with such topics and the “correct” nomenclature 
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I love Ab minor because it gets them all 
It’s also very easy to play on keys. All the black keys are legit, and the only two white keys are the ones that make it sound minor.
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What key do you get if you drop a piano down a shaft?
A Flat Minor!
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It would seem to me that if you wanted to play in Eb major, you could simply tune every string down half a tone and play in the key of E. Same thing with Bb and play in the key of B. Simple Wha???
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I had this conversation with the guitar player in my band. He keeps one of his guitars tuned a half step down for certain songs. SRV “Crossfire” was the original topic. It’s in Eb. So I started just carrying a second bass that stays tuned down a half step that I use for the couple of song on our list that require it.
The singer likes to do The Weight in A flat instead of A so I just play it on the down tuned bass without having to change anything other than the bass. Seems to work. I dont have special d-tuners yet, maybe one day. I’m probably breaking some “bass bro” code but no one has said anything yet. Its more efficient than detuning and retuning or transcribing the whole song in another key.
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If you want to play in the key of B Major (AKA Cb major), and it’s tuned down half a tone you just play like the key of C. Easy Beesy!
Yeah this is one place bass and guitar are way, way easier than piano
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