There is a small ambiguity which affects both global accidentals
and accidentals added to the key signature. In conventional notation,
sharps and flats in the key signature apply automatically to all
octaves, whereas true accidentals written before a note in the tune
apply only to that note (and any others of the same pitch for the
duration of that bar*). Notes of the same name, but in different
octaves are unaffected. Clearly, if the proposal is to deal with
exotic scales which differ between octaves, we need the extra
accidentals which are added to the keysig to operate like true
accidentals, leaving notes of the same name but in different octaves
unaffected, rather than like the normal components of the keysig.
Or perhaps the rule should be that an accidental in the keysig
operates on notes of all octaves unless cancelled by a subsequent
accidental, and only the second accidental is specific to one octave?
* at least in modern notation - I know that Laura's music requires
a different convention, and so does Gregorian chant.
Phil Taylor
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