Notation question natural followed by sharp Chopin Waltz in C sharp minor
In Chopin's Waltz in C sharp minor, I'm a bit confused by the following notation:
The F has a natural, cancelling out the sharp in the key signature. But then it instantly becomes an F-sharp again. Once more there is no note to play for the accidental, so I don't understand what this piece of notation is telling me.
I would guess I play the F natural and then the G, then the next F in the bar I play as an F-sharp?
Thank you.
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To address the last part of your question - both the F(?) and G(?) are played at the same time - they just got printed to look like they do, as there isn't room on one side of the stem! Don't ever think of playing them one after the other - that's not correct.
The previous measure has an F double-sharp:
The natural-sharp is to remind you that it's no longer double sharp.
You need to look at the previous bar as well. There's a Fx (F double-sharp). Technically, this reverts to the single sharp of the key signature in the next bar. Some editions therefore omit any accidental. Some (like the one below) add a cautionary # on the F. Your example uses the old convention of cancelling a double-sharp with a natural-sharp.
Either way, the note in question is F?. The other note in the dyad is G?, according to the key signature. And it IS a dyad, a two-note chord. To be played together. The offset - one note each side of the stem - is purely to avoid an ugly printing collision.
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