A false note? What a pity! (5)

I believe the answer is:

shame

'a pity' is the definition.
(I know that pity can be written as shame)

'a false note?' is the wordplay.
'a false' becomes 'sham' (sham means fake or pretend).
'note?' becomes 'e' (musical note).
'sham'+'e'='SHAME'

'what' is the link.

(Other definitions for shame that I've seen before include "Feeling of humiliation" , "pity!" , "Painful emotion resulting from guilt" , "Regrettable thing" , "disgraceful" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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