Which symbol lowers the note by a whole step?

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Multiple Choice

Which symbol lowers the note by a whole step?

Explanation:
Understanding how accidentals modify pitch helps explain this. An accidental changes the pitch of the written note. A flat lowers the note by one semitone. A double flat lowers the note by two semitones, which is the distance of a whole step. Slurs and ties, on the other hand, affect articulation and duration, not pitch. So to lower a note by a full step, the symbol used is the double flat, because it decreases the pitch by two semitones (often making the written note sound as a different enharmonic pitch, like C double flat sounding as Bb).

Understanding how accidentals modify pitch helps explain this. An accidental changes the pitch of the written note. A flat lowers the note by one semitone. A double flat lowers the note by two semitones, which is the distance of a whole step. Slurs and ties, on the other hand, affect articulation and duration, not pitch. So to lower a note by a full step, the symbol used is the double flat, because it decreases the pitch by two semitones (often making the written note sound as a different enharmonic pitch, like C double flat sounding as Bb).

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