Definition

1. Noun:
   • A musical notation symbol: A "double flat" is a musical symbol consisting of two flat signs (♭♭) placed before a note. It indicates that the pitch of that note should be lowered by two semitones (or one whole tone) from its natural or written pitch.

Usage

• The "double flat" is used in written sheet music to modify the pitch of a note.
• It is primarily found in keys with many flats or in complex harmonic contexts where chromatic alteration is necessary.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The composer wrote a B double flat in the cello part, making it sound like an A natural.
  • To play this passage correctly, you must remember that the double flat lowers the note by a whole step.

Advanced Usage

• Enharmonic Equivalence: A note with a double flat is enharmonically equivalent to another natural note two semitones lower (e.g., B♭♭ sounds the same as A on a piano).
• In Key Signatures: While not used in standard key signatures, double flats appear as accidentals within a piece of music to facilitate correct spelling within a chord or scale (e.g., in the G♭ harmonic minor scale, the seventh note is F♭, which is often written as E double flat in certain chords for proper theoretical spelling).

Variants and Related Words

• Flat (♭): A musical notation that lowers a note by one semitone.
• Double Sharp (𝄪): A musical notation that raises a note by two semitones.
• Natural (♮): A musical notation that cancels a previous flat or sharp.
• Accidental: A general term for any symbol (sharp, flat, natural, double sharp, double flat) that alters the pitch of a note from its key signature.

Synonyms

• Lowered by a whole tone: (Descriptive phrase)
• Two-flat sign: (Descriptive synonym)

Related Phrases

• Double-flatted: (Adjective/Verb form, less common) Describing a note that has been marked with a double flat.
  • The double-flatted seventh degree creates a distinctive sound in that chord.

Notes

• The double flat is a specific notational symbol. It is not a phrasal verb or commonly used in idioms outside of musical terminology. Its meaning is highly specialized within the context of music theory and performance.

Noun

1. a musical notation of two flats in front of a note indicating that it is to be lowered by two semitones