Originally Posted by: John George
Also. Is there such a thing as an E# or B#?

Yes and no. I apologize if this sounds confusing!

An E# is an F (if you sharp an E, you move one half step up and you get an F) and a B# is a C (if you sharp an B, you move one half step up and you get an C)

While there is no physical E# or B#, when memorizing scales there will be certain times when you refer to an F as an E# and a C as a B#. In a nutshell, scales must include every letter.

The C major scale, which has no sharps or flats, is as follows:

C-D-E-F-G-A-B

Notice that every letter is included.

Now, the F# major scale, which has 6 sharps:

F#-G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E#

That last E# is really an F. There is no physical E# but the F is referred to as an E# in order to retain consistency. I think it's also easier to remember too.

Hope that helped!