A natural is the accidental that cancels a previous sharp or flat, restoring the note to its unaltered pitch. The symbol looks like a square with two diagonal lines and is placed before the note it affects.

Naturals appear when a composer needs to contradict the key signature or an earlier accidental within the same measure. Like other accidentals, a natural ordinarily lasts only for the remainder of the measure unless the note is tied. Performers must stay alert because a missed natural can produce a wrong note that clashes with the harmony.

In some modern scores the rules for accidentals are modified, but the natural retains its basic function of returning a pitch to its natural state. On the keyboard a natural usually means playing a white key, though the exact key depends on the note name.

• Cancels a sharp or flat
• Restores the original pitch
• Usually lasts one measure
• Essential for chromatic clarity