Enharmonic spellings refer to alternate spellings that reference the same pitch. While they are identical in sound, the choice of enharmonic spelling can be preferred for different reasons – a user may wish to indicate a chord’s functional relationship to the key center (see harmonic analysis), or conversely to simplify a functional spelling in order to make it more understandable.
In Cymasphere, the enharmonic spelling of each cymatic may be toggled to display a preferred spelling in the chord letter prefix.
Why does spelling matter?
A particular spelling may be used to accurately indicate a chord’s functional relationship. (For example, the ♭II chord in the key of A♭ will have the prefix letter of B♭♭, which is enharmonically equivalent to the pitch C).
Sometimes, however it may be preferable to use a simplified enharmonic spelling (for example, C instead of D♭♭) in order to make it easier for musicians to use as a framework for improvisation due to the average amount of exposure musicians .
How do spellings work?
By default, Cymasphere defaults all spellings to be functional. This means that the default letter name prefix for each cymatic’s root is derived from the chromatic scale degree applied to the tonic (key).
For example, the Chromatic Scale Degree ♭II applied to the key of C results in the spelling D♭. See Functional Spelling Matrix below.
Cymasphere allows users to toggle the enharmonic spelling on cymatics with “neutral” spellings, regardless of their chromatic scale degree position.
Each cymatic with a complex spelling may be overridden to simplify the spelling if it uses a complex spelling. Note that enharmonic spellings are unique to the each key, as spelling preferences may vary by key.
Neutral Enharmonic Spellings
- C♯ = D♭
- D♯ = E♭
- F♯ = G♭
- G♯ = A♭
- A♯ = B♭
Complex/Simplified Spellings
- C♭ = B
- B♯ = C
- F♭ = E
- E♯ = F
- D♭♭ = C
- E♭♭ = D
- G♭♭ = F
- A♭♭ = G
- B♭♭ = A
- C♯♯ = D
- D♯♯ = E
- F♯♯ = G
- G♯♯ = A
- A♯♯ = B
Functional Spelling Matrix
Degree  \ Key ↔ | C | C♯ | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C♭ |
| I | C | C♯ | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C♭ |
| ♯I | C♯ | C♯♯ | D | D♯ | E | E♯ | F♯ | F♯♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | B♯ | C |
| ♭II | D♭ | D | E♭♭ | E♭ | F♭ | F | G♭ | G | A♭♭ | A♭ | B♭♭ | B♭ | C♭ | C | D♭♭ |
| II | D | D♯ | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | C♯ | D♭ |
| ♯II | D♯ | D♯♯ | E | E♯ | F♯ | F♯♯ | G♯ | G♯♯ | A | A♯ | B | B♯ | C♯ | C♯♯ | D |
| ♭III | E♭ | E | F♭ | F | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭♭ | B♭ | C♭ | C | D♭ | D | E♭♭ |
| III | E | E♯ | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B♭ | B | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E♭ |
| IV | F | F♯ | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C♭ | C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F♭ |
| ♯IV | F♯ | F♯♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | B♯ | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | E♯ | F |
| ♭V | G♭ | G | A♭♭ | A♭ | B♭♭ | B♭ | C♭ | C | D♭♭ | D♭ | E♭♭ | E♭ | F♭ | F | G♭♭ |
| V | G | G♯ | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | C♯ | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G♭ |
| ♯V | G♯ | G♯♯ | A | A♯ | B | B♯ | C♯ | C♯♯ | D | D♯ | E | E♯ | F♯ | F♯♯ | G |
| ♭VI | A♭ | A | B♭♭ | B♭ | C♭ | C | D♭ | D | E♭♭ | E♭ | F♭ | F | G♭ | G | A♭♭ |
| VI | A | A♯ | B♭ | B | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A♭ |
| ♯VI | A♯ | A♯♯ | B | B♯ | C♯ | C♯♯ | D♯ | D♯♯ | E | E♯ | F♯ | F♯♯ | G♯ | G♯♯ | A |
| ♭VII | B♭ | B | C♭ | C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F♭ | F | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭♭ |
| VII | B | B♯ | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | E♯ | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B♭ |
