Pitch naming questions

[pauln]

Is there a convention as to how the names of pitches are assigned?

Do you name pitches with respect to the key signature of a song
or
name pitches with respect to a key assigned to the roots and tonics of chords and scales?

Is the official convention different from how you think when playing?

Example, song is in Eb major (three flats Eb, Ab, Bb)

Progression chord is B major, are you thinking:

B D# F# reference to key of B major (five sharps) but the intervals of thirds are clear
or
B Eb Gb reference to flat key of the song (or even Cb Eb Gb to maintain intervals of thirds)?

Similarly when you play pitches from a scale do you name the pitches by the note names and accidentals of the key signature of the song, or by the key signature where the tonic of the scale would be the tonic of the key?

Do you ever name the pitches of chords one way and the pitches of scales another way?

[John A.]

Is there a convention as to how the names of pitches are assigned?

Do you name pitches with respect to the key signature of a song
or
name pitches with respect to a key assigned to the roots and tonics of chords and scales?

Is the official convention different from how you think when playing?

Example, song is in Eb major (three flats Eb, Ab, Bb)

Progression chord is B major, are you thinking:

B D# F# reference to key of B major (five sharps) but the intervals of thirds are clear
or
B Eb Gb reference to flat key of the song (or even Cb Eb Gb to maintain intervals of thirds)?

Similarly when you play pitches from a scale do you name the pitches by the note names and accidentals of the key signature of the song, or by the key signature where the tonic of the scale would be the tonic of the key?

Do you ever name the pitches of chords one way and the pitches of scales another way?

I may be missing something in your questions, but so far as I know the convention is to notate in reference to the key signature. In a classical theory/composition exam if you deviate from that your prof will probably ding you (or write "watch your accidentals!" in the margin). But as a practical matter, it's fairly common in jazz or pop lead sheets to substitute enharmonic equivalent to avoid multiple accidentals, as well as to write B/E/C/F instead of Cb/Fb/B#/E#, respectively. IME, the guiding principle seems to be that if you're notating for the purposes of analysis and theorizing, spell it (religiously) in reference to the key sig, but if you want people to play what you've written (or are telling them verbally what to play), do what you think will confuse them least.

But if we're talking about playing a tune from memory or improvising, I don't really think about note names. When I do think (as opposed to just hearing and playing) I think about notes in terms of interval relationships to other notes or within a chord. So I might be aware that a sound/fingering is the 3rd or #5 of the chord (or whatever it is functionally), or I might tell myself to do some pattern of intervals, but in my mind I'm not naming the notes. It's really only in talking about or writing music down that I think explicitly about note names.

[rpjazzguitar]

Good question.

I usually see things be consistent with key.

But, I've also heard to use flats in a descending line and sharps in an ascending line.

And, then, there's whatever makes it easier to read. I don't like to see Cb Fb E# or B#. I'm not crazy about A# but I should probably get used to it. There's a point where I think "too many accidentals in this bar, I don't care if it's technically correct, it could be easier to read".

[mr. beaumont]

I'm definitely not an expert on this, but I always go for readability.

[emanresu]

I don't mind reading some 'x's or 'bb's when it happens rarely - it is fine.
If there's a swarm, then no - that would reduce the amount of your targeted readers a lot.
Notes like Cb or E# is not really a big problem. It depends on to whom you wanna give the score.