[Bell Historians] Digest Number 176

[Ben Willetts]

Dickon:
> I am essentially a keyboard player (piano and organ)
> hence to me, C# and Db are the same note. HOWEVER,
> I know that my mother (a music teacher) plays the
> viola and would argue that there is a subtle difference.

Yes, there is a subtle difference. However, remember that the subtle
difference changes depending on what key you are playing in! So a C# played
in the key of G sounds different to a C# played in Bb, which sounds
different to a Db played in G, which sounds different to a Db played in Bb,
and so on for all the other keys.

Essentially, therefore, if we agree that there is a difference between C#
and Db we must also agree what that difference is! i.e. what key are we
playing in?

I would argue that the key note is defined by the tenor of the ring of
bells, and therefore that the differences between C# and Db are irrelevant
because there is no difference between them if you are simply picking one to
name your key-note!

So my considered opinion as a keyboard AND string musician is that it is
technically more accurate and logically easier to say that there is no
difference between C# and Db when referring to the tenor note of a ring of
bells.

Ben