When I started Nordic Ukulele and moved my business from Sweden to Norway, I quickly realized that the biggest culture clash wasn't the language – but the music notes.
In Sweden, I learned that the old system of H for H-natural was an extinct concept. Sure, some older musicians or those in classical music held onto it, but no one in my circles did. No one placed much value on anyone using this old system.
Then I came to Norway. Here, I experience a clearer conflict to a greater extent: those who advocate the H/B system can sometimes (with a twinkle in their eye, I hope!) belittle those who use the international B/B♭ standard. It's a hot topic!
When the B-note goes wrong on stage...
The funny, and sometimes costly, result of this difference is when musicians from different "schools" play together. I have experienced several times that musicians play their respective version of "B" – and it doesn't sound good. Simply because the note B is two different notes depending on whether you're speaking the Sweden-language (international) or the Norway-language (traditional).
How did this confusion arise?
This is a classic mystery in music history. A common, but probably not entirely true explanation, is that the confusion arose in Germany during the Middle Ages when people wrote with quill pens. Some believe that the square B (H-natural) was difficult to write and therefore ended up looking like an H. It's a convenient and amusing explanation, but the story is a bit more complex:
-
In early notation, a round symbol was used for B-flat and a square symbol for B-natural.
-
In Germany, they started writing the square symbol as the letter H to resolve the confusion.
In this way, the Germans (and thus the Nordic countries) solved the problem by giving the two notes two different letters (B and H), while the rest of the world solved it by using different accidentals: B and B♭.
An important conclusion: Music should unite
But let's end with a serious appeal. Do not look down on, or speak ill of, anyone who does not use the same notation system as you. The world has enough conflicts and friction as it is. Once you've learned one system from scratch and mastered it, it's not entirely easy to switch to another.
