. Layout Piano Keys
Learning the Layout of Piano Keys
Understanding the layout of piano keys and how they go together with music can be a very confusing thought. Under the guidance of a good instructional program though, all of the pieces of the puzzle come together and make total sense.
It would be hard to distinguish the keys if only white ones were on the keyboard. The black keys give a way to separate the keys into groupings and provide different tones for our scales and chords. The black keys are in one gathering of two keys then a group of three keys, interchanging all the way down the board in this pattern.
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All of the white keys represent a letter in the musical alphabet beginning with A and counting all the way to G, and then they start over again. The black keys are considered half of a note. Our music would be quite bland without half notes. The black keys are called flat or sharp depending on whether you are using them to go up or down on the board.
Strangely enough, the middle of the keyboard begins with C and goes up or down from there. Or you can begin at one end with the lowest sounding notes and work your way to the right until you reach the highest sounding notes. It is easiest to begin learning the keys from the middle and going right and left on the keyboard. Some people refer to this as “home.”
Understanding the layout of the piano keys is only one part of learning how to play the piano. When you learn to read music, you will find that the keys will correspond with the notes on the piano so you will know where to place your fingers.
If you play the piano by ear, you already are familiar with the sounds that can be created by hitting certain scales on parts of the keyboard but being able to establish a reason to the method is necessary in order to advance into a more creative style and to read music. Playing by ear is a gift than can be molded and formed into musical excellence by learning notes, keys, music and methods. For more information check out the Piano Basics page.
A beginner is almost easier to teach the layout of piano keys than one who has had a minimum amount of exposure because they are totally unfamiliar with any preconceived ideas. If you have never sat in front of a piano that is full of keys, start with instruction on the layout of the keys. The next step should be the placement of your fingers on the “home” keys, not unlike your instruction with a keyboard for a computer. Starting the journey to playing piano comes easier when you know the layout of piano keys and when learning is done in steps.