Accidental (music) felt it was obvious that the accidental should continue. The older practice continued in use well into the 18th century by many composers, notably Johann Sebastian Bach. The newer convention did not achieve general currency until early in the 19th century. Accidental (music) In music, an accidental is a note of a pitch (or pitch class) that is not a member of the scale or mode indicated by the most recently applied key signature. In musical notation, the sharp (), flat (), and natural () symbols, among others, mark such notes—and those symbols are also called accidentals. In the measure
Key signature between one and seven, applied in this order: . A mnemonic device often used to remember this is "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle." The key note or tonic of a piece in a major key is immediately above the last sharp in the signature. For example, one sharp (F) in the key signature of a piece in a major key indicates the key of G major, the next note above F. (Six sharps, the last one being E (an enharmonic spelling of F) indicate the key of F major, since F has already been sharped in the key