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3.2 THE PIANO KEYBOARD

Understanding the keyboard is great way to visualize music There are seven letters in the musical alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The musical alphabet is a cycle that repeats after G. Keys on the piano are assigned letter names and they are pitched from low to high when played from left to right.

  • Watch the walkthrough video.

  • Learn the information below.

  • Draw a keyboard!

anatomy of a keyboard

Flat: An accidental that lowers a note by a half step. The symbol for a flat is b (Db is a half step lower than D).
Sharp: An accidental that raises a note by a half step. The symbol for a sharp is # (C# is a half step higher than C).

Enharmonics: Two notes with different letter names that share the same pitch (C# and Db are enharmonically equivalent).
Root: The root of the chord is the same as the letter name of the chord.
Octave: Notes that share the same letter name that are a scale-length away. Notes that are an octave away vibrate at twice the speed.

how to draw

Let’s draw a keyboard!

  • Grab a piece of paper and follow along with the video.

  • Label the letter names of each black and white key.

  • Include both enharmonic names for the black keys.

 

Identify

NOTES ON THE KEYBOARD

  • Use the flashcards to work on identifying the notes on the piano keyboard.

Practice

C POSITION

  • Place your left hand on the keyboard so that your fingers are on the corresponding notes shown on the chart. This is called C position.

  • Practice playing the notes in C position with your left hand. You can use a real piano or a Paper Piano →

  • Check your technique with the information below.

TECHNIQUE

Make sure you have good technique by getting into C position with your left hand starting with your pinky on low C and placing the rest of your fingers on adjacent keys. Check that you are:

1. Keeping your wrist relaxed and in a neutral position

2. Not buckling your knuckles while playing

3. Keeping your fingers close to the keys when they are not playing


 

Test

C POSITION ASSESSMENT

Demonstrate that you know the notes on the keyboard and can play them in C position with good technique.

  • Know the expectations! Review the Rubric →

  • Choose a random flashcard and turn on the metronome.

  • Say the letter name on one beat then play the corresponding note on the next.

  • Continue saying and playing the notes given on each flashcard along with the metronome.

  • Reflect on how you did with the Self Assessment →