How to Learn the Piano Keys
A beginning pianist may find the many keys of the piano keyboard difficult to tell apart, yet every note has a distinct pitch and must be recognized individually. By learning the basics of octaves and names of notes, and by learning how the black and white keys on a piano are organized, the beginner can learn to distinguish the keys from one another and start to play.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Observe the groupings of black keys. Notice that they occur in alternating groups of two and three black keys, each separated by two white keys with nothing between them.
-
2
Identify octave groupings. Every repeating pattern of two, then three groups of black keys indicates a new octave of seven white keys and five black keys. On a standard, full keyboard (88 keys total), the first octave starts with the leftmost white key, which is an "A." The white key notes are named in repeating alphabetical order up to the letter "G."
-
-
3
Learn the names of the black keys. They correspond to the pitches they are next to, named as sharp notes to the right of a white key or flat notes to the left. For example, the black key between D and E is either called "D sharp" or "E flat."
-
4
Find middle "C." This key is the C (the note located just to the left of each two black-key grouping) at the very middle of the keyboard. A beginning piano player must know middle C because beginning music uses it as a type of home base.
-
5
Label the keys. While learning, label each key with its note name. Use masking tape and a marker (which you can peel off without leaving residue), or if your piano has plastic keys, use a permanent marker, then remove with nail-polish remover.
-
6
Practice looking away from the labels while playing. Practice locating keys quickly and recognizing them by their relative position on the keyboard. As you improve, you can remove some of the labels, leaving just a few in place to use as guides.
-
1
