Courtesy accidentals

A courtesy accidental, also called a cautionary or reminder accidental, is one that, according to the rules of accidental occurrence, isn’t strictly necessary before a note. But there are times when the composer wants to remind the player that an accidental is (or is not) in effect for a particular note. For example, in a measure containing several E flat accidentals, the first E in the next measure often has a courtesy natural attached, even though the E flat is technically canceled in the new measure.

To create a courtesy accidental

1. Choose the Speedy Entry tool , and click the measure in question. The editing frame appears.
2. Click the notehead for which you want the accidental displayed. You can also position the insertion bar and crossbar on the notehead using the arrow keys.
3. Press the asterisk (*) key. If there was no accidental on the note, a courtesy sharp, flat, or natural now appears. (If there was an accidental on the note, it’s now hidden. Press the asterisk key again to restore it.)

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