Some believe that he did so to create a more somber and dramatic effect, while others believe that he simply preferred the look of black keys over white keys. To find a G key, look for a group of 3 black keys and find the white key on the inside left.Mozart’s use of black piano keys has been a source of much debate and speculation over the years. To find an F key, look for the white key to the left of any group of 3 black keys. ![]() To find an E key, look for the white key to the right of any group of 2 black keys. To find a D key, look for the white key inside any group of 2 black keys. *We know the very top key is a C because based on the pattern of groups of 2 and 3 black keys, the next keys would have been a group of 2 black keys, if the keyboard didn't end. To find a C key, look for the white key to the left of any group of 2 black keys. To find a B key, look for the white key to the right of any group of 3 black keys. *We know the very bottom key is an A because based on the pattern of groups of 2 and 3 black keys, that lonely black key is part of what would have been a group of 3 black keys, if the keyboard didn't end. To find an A key, look for any group of 3 black keys, and find the white key on the inside right. Now let's take a look at how everything we've just learned about piano keys and the music alphabet applies to the full keyboard. Because doing that would be a ridiculous waste of your time. You don't want to have to start at C and count your way up every time. You want to know exactly where to look to find an F, and you want to know exactly what an F looks like, without any doubts. Absolute confidence, no second-guessing whatsoever. I'd be willing put money down that what you did do, was immediately jump to the spot just left of the middle, because you knew that's exactly where the 4 would be.Īnd I bet when your eyes landed on the 4, you knew instantly what what you were looking at was, in fact, a 4. I bet you think starting at 1 and counting up one number at a time would have been a ridiculous strategy and a waste of your time, don't you? I bet you found it pretty quickly, didn't you?Īnd I bet you didn't start at 1 and count your way up one number at a time, did you? Take a look at the numbers below, and find the number 4 for me: Obviously, counting from C would work, but it's a huge waste of time. This means you don't just learn where C is and then figure out where F is by counting from C. When you're learning the keys on the piano, it is CRUCIAL that you recognize each key in its own right. We'll break it down into individual keys, but first, I want to address one very important issue. So if we colour-coded the piano keyboard by letter name, it would look like this: When you get to the end of the music alphabet, you just start back at A and keep going. (Although, apparently, in some countries there is an H, but we won't get into that.) The music alphabet consists of only 7 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. When you move from right to left, you are moving down the keyboard. When you move from left to right, you are moving up the keyboard. For this reason, we call this the top of the keyboard. The keys to the far right are the high keys, which create high-pitched sounds. For this reason, we call this the bottom of the keyboard. The keys to the far left are the low keys, which create low-pitched sounds. (I'll write a separate post later about the black keys.) Pitch and OrientationĪ quick note about orienting yourself with the keyboard: This post will focus on learning the white keys. The main reason the keys are arranged in black and white keys (instead of just a huge row of identical white keys) is to help us find the specific keys we need at any given time. (You can count them if you don't believe me!) The keys on the piano are collectively called the keyboard.Įlectric keyboards are also available in smaller sizes, some with 76, 61, or 49 keys. Of those keys, 52 are white, and 36 are black. So, let's jump right in and start getting to know the piano keys! How many keys are there on a piano?Ī full-sized piano has 88 keys. You need to learn where the piano keys are, what they are called, and how to instantly find them by name. One of the very first things you'll need to learn about the piano is the layout of the keys. Disclosure: Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a commission if you buy something through my links.
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