0More information to be included at the left of each line of the staff includes any sharps (#) or flats (b) that will designate the key signature you'll follow throughout the music. A sharp takes a note up half a step, while a flat lowers it half a step. The symbols can appear incidentally throughout the piece for occasional uses, or can appear at the beginning of the piece to follow through the remainder of the song.
- If, for instance, you see a sharp in the first space in the treble clef, you'll know that each note that appears in that space will need to be played one half-step higher. Likewise, with flats.
