What is the term for restoring a note to its natural pitch after being altered?

What is the term for restoring a note to its natural pitch after being altered?

• A. Flat
• B. Sharp
• C. Natural
• D. Double Sharp

Answer: (C)

Returning a note to its unaltered pitch is done with a natural sign. Accidentals like sharps and flats modify a note’s pitch—sharp raises by a semitone, flat lowers by a semitone. The natural sign cancels any previous alteration for that note (from the key signature or an earlier accidental) and returns it to its natural pitch. For example, in a key where F is normally sharp, a natural on F makes it F natural in that measure. Double-sharp and double-flat are different alterations and do not serve to revert to the natural pitch.

Returning a note to its unaltered pitch is done with a natural sign. Accidentals like sharps and flats modify a note’s pitch—sharp raises by a semitone, flat lowers by a semitone. The natural sign cancels any previous alteration for that note (from the key signature or an earlier accidental) and returns it to its natural pitch. For example, in a key where F is normally sharp, a natural on F makes it F natural in that measure. Double-sharp and double-flat are different alterations and do not serve to revert to the natural pitch.