In this lesson, you will learn:
The layout of the piano keys.
How to find the piano’s C note, and use it as your compass.
Layout of the Piano Keys
Don’t be intimidated by the length of your piano keyboard, it’s a lot simpler than it looks.
Take a look at the keys – do you notice a repeating pattern?
There are sets of two black keys, and sets of three black keys. The black keys are going to help you find the notes you want. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to tell the white keys apart. Use the black keys to point you to the most crucial note on the board, the C.
Finding the C Note on Your Piano
Your life is going to revolve around C from now on, so let’s get you introduced.
The C note is always the white key right before the two black keys. This is the same throughout the entire piano keyboard; the pattern repeats itself.
Try It: Locate and play every C on your keyboard, using the two black keys as your guide. In picture #1, each C note is highlighted.
Tip: Remembering C's location can be tricky; it comes before a group of black keys just like the F key. Remember:
C comes before the group of two black keys.
F comes before the group of three black keys.
Take a look at picture #2 to observe the difference.Question: Why are there only five black piano keys per octave?
Don’t all piano notes have sharps and flats?
Answer:
They do. Every note can have a sharp or flat, which is what a black piano key is; but there are fewer black piano keys than white piano keys.
The C-note in picture #1 appears to have no flat, because there is no black key directly to the left of it. C has a flat; it’s just disguised as B. Here’s why:
The musical scale on which the piano keyboard is based is called the diatonic scale. This scale has intervals of whole steps and half steps. Th
e interval layout of the C major scale is as follows:
C –whole- D –whole- E –half- F –whole- G –whole- A –whole- B –half- C
There are two half step intervals in a major scale. In C major, they’re between B-C, and E-F. Since there is already a half step between these notes, adding a black key – which lowers a note by a half step – would be unnecessary.
Tip: Because of this interval layout, B can also be written as C flat … depending on the key. These notes are just two examples of enharmonic notes.
The layout of the piano keys.
How to find the piano’s C note, and use it as your compass.
Layout of the Piano Keys
Don’t be intimidated by the length of your piano keyboard, it’s a lot simpler than it looks.
Take a look at the keys – do you notice a repeating pattern?
There are sets of two black keys, and sets of three black keys. The black keys are going to help you find the notes you want. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to tell the white keys apart. Use the black keys to point you to the most crucial note on the board, the C.
Finding the C Note on Your Piano
Your life is going to revolve around C from now on, so let’s get you introduced.
The C note is always the white key right before the two black keys. This is the same throughout the entire piano keyboard; the pattern repeats itself.
Try It: Locate and play every C on your keyboard, using the two black keys as your guide. In picture #1, each C note is highlighted.
Tip: Remembering C's location can be tricky; it comes before a group of black keys just like the F key. Remember:
C comes before the group of two black keys.
F comes before the group of three black keys.
Take a look at picture #2 to observe the difference.Question: Why are there only five black piano keys per octave?
Don’t all piano notes have sharps and flats?
Answer:
They do. Every note can have a sharp or flat, which is what a black piano key is; but there are fewer black piano keys than white piano keys.
The C-note in picture #1 appears to have no flat, because there is no black key directly to the left of it. C has a flat; it’s just disguised as B. Here’s why:
The musical scale on which the piano keyboard is based is called the diatonic scale. This scale has intervals of whole steps and half steps. Th
e interval layout of the C major scale is as follows:
C –whole- D –whole- E –half- F –whole- G –whole- A –whole- B –half- C
There are two half step intervals in a major scale. In C major, they’re between B-C, and E-F. Since there is already a half step between these notes, adding a black key – which lowers a note by a half step – would be unnecessary.
Tip: Because of this interval layout, B can also be written as C flat … depending on the key. These notes are just two examples of enharmonic notes.
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