BASIC PIANO KEYBOARD LESSONS

Naming the pitch of notes: The Musical Alphabet

The pitch of a note is named by using one of the first 7 letters of the alphabet: A B C D E F & G, in ascending sequence: A B C rises in pitch.  Every 8th note marks the beginning of a new octave. A clef is needed to fix the pitch of a note.

Lesson 2

Names of Black Keys Grand Staff & Diagram of the Piano Keyboard

1.  Introduction

2.  Naming the Groups of Two Black Keys

3.  Naming the Groups of Three Black Keys

4.  Review of All the Black Key Names

5.  The Music Staff

6.  Clef Signs

7.  Treble Clef

8.  Bass Clef

9.  Grand Staff

10.  Conclusion

1. Introduction

In this lesson, you will name all the black keys on the piano keyboard. Each black key is given two names. Their names are based on which white keys surround them. You are going to learn how to represent the keys you learned in music notation. Music notation is used to record music in written form. Music notation is written on what is called a musical staff. In piano, two staves are used. These two staves combine to form what is called the grand staff.

2. Naming the Groups of Two Black Keys

Take a look at the groups of two black keys. Let's look at the black key on the left. Notice that it is surrounded by C and D. Because it is to the right of C, it is called C Sharp, (written C#). It is also known as D Flat (written Db) because it is to the left of D.

Take a look at the groups of two black keys again. Let's look at the black key on the right. Notice that it is surrounded by D and E. Because it is to the right of D, it is called D Sharp, (written D#). It is also known as E flat (written Eb) because it is to the left of E.
 

3. Naming the Groups of Three Black Keys

Take a look at the groups of three black keys. Let's look at the black key on the left of the group of three black keys. Notice that it is surrounded by F and G. Since it is to the right of F, what is the name of this key? If you said F sharp (F#) you're right! It is to the left of G, so it has another name. What is it? If you said G flat (Gb) you are right again!

Take a look at the groups of three black keys again. Let's look at the black key in the middle. Notice that it is surrounded by G and A. Since it is to the right of G, what is it called? If you said G# you're right! It is to the left of A, so it has another name. What is it? If you said Ab then you are right again! Good work!

Take a look at the groups of three black keys one final time. Let's look at the black key to the right of the group of three black keys. Notice that it is surrounded by A and B. What are its two names then? If you said A sharp (A#) and B flat (Bb) then you are correct! This black key is called A sharp (A#) because it is located to the right of A, and it is called B flat (Bb) because it is located to the left of B.

4. Review of All the Black Key Names

Let's take a look at all the black key names that you have just learned.

5. The Music Staff

Let's take a look at the musical staff. Think of it as a visual representation of the piano keyboard. Each line and space on the staff represents a white key on the piano keyboard. Moving notes up on the staff from line note to space note or space note to line note corresponds with moving to the right on the piano keyboard.

6. Clef Signs

Let's take a look at clefs. To make each space and line represent a specific white key on the piano, clef signs are used. Piano music uses two clef signs, the treble clef, also called the G clef, and the bass clef, also called the F clef.

7. Treble Clef

Let's take a look at the treble clef, also known as the G clef. The G clef makes the line that the circular part of the G clef sign wraps around a G above middle C. From this, you can figure out what the rest of the notes are.

8. Bass Clef

Let's take a look at the bass clef, also known as the F clef. The line between the two dots of the F clef is where the F below middle C goes. From here you can figure out the rest of the notes.

9. Grand Staff

The two staffs combine together to form the grand staff. You'll notice that middle C appears in two different places on the grand staff. Actually, the line that the middle C appears on is the same line. In order to make the grand staff easier to read, the line between the two staves were removed and the two staves were spaced further apart.

10. Conclusion