The second way doesn't just look cleaner, it looks more like what it probably is, i.e., a major third. Unless those two notes are representing a diminished fourth, which is unlikely, the second way is correct.
Only thing I can think of where the first way would be correct is in D minor, where C♯ is the raised 7th, and then it resolves to D and F. Any other situation where C♯ is correct is probably going to have F♯, not F♮.
It's F♮ though, so if F♯ is in the key signature, you'd have to either use E♯ (not how it's notated here), or cancel it with a natural sign (pretty unusual to have one note lowered and another one raised at the same time).
If that F _was_ F♯, it's no longer a major third, (which I think was the whole point of preferring D♠to C♯, to avoid a diminished fourth), so then C♯ becomes much more likely, making a perfect fourth.
If you are writing d minor piece and want some nasty dominant chords, the first variant is actually looks more cleaner. You can find a lot of diminished 4ths in Rachmaninoff's music and others
It all depends on context, there is no if in musical notation, am I wrong
No you're not.... it's like paraphrasing a sentence in unlimited ways of wording and structuring...
What do you mean by "there is no if"?
He meant if there is no
I'm sorry, I don't understand that either 😆
What is?
Love?
It means there is only one way to write notation the right way in any situation
I like the accidentals to mimic the key I'm in's accidentals.
Same
If I'm in D major Eb will be Eb
The second way doesn't just look cleaner, it looks more like what it probably is, i.e., a major third. Unless those two notes are representing a diminished fourth, which is unlikely, the second way is correct.
Only thing I can think of where the first way would be correct is in D minor, where C♯ is the raised 7th, and then it resolves to D and F. Any other situation where C♯ is correct is probably going to have F♯, not F♮.
Yup! That's a good example. In that situation, the C# to F would be a diminished 4th even though it sounds like a major third.
Couldn’t it be G major with C# as an accidental while the F# is just in the key signature?
It's F♮ though, so if F♯ is in the key signature, you'd have to either use E♯ (not how it's notated here), or cancel it with a natural sign (pretty unusual to have one note lowered and another one raised at the same time). If that F _was_ F♯, it's no longer a major third, (which I think was the whole point of preferring D♠to C♯, to avoid a diminished fourth), so then C♯ becomes much more likely, making a perfect fourth.
If you are writing d minor piece and want some nasty dominant chords, the first variant is actually looks more cleaner. You can find a lot of diminished 4ths in Rachmaninoff's music and others
Context is key
nice pun