The Musical Alphabet

This is Part Two of a 3-part Series.

1. Piano Notes – The Notes on the Piano Keyboard

2. (You are here) The Musical Alphabet

3. The C Major Scale

 

Use the Musical Alphabet to Memorize Notes

To learn where the notes lie on the piano keyboard, memorize the Musical Alphabet, which is just the first seven letters of the alphabet. (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). Some easy notes to begin with are of course, “A”, “C” and “D”.

Find “A” by looking at a group of three black keys. Of the two white keys between these black keys, “A” is the white key that is center right. “C” is to the immediate left of the group of two black keys, and “D” is between the two black keys. For little children I teach them that “D” stands for “doggie with the two black ears.”

Test yourself by randomly naming the notes up and down the keyboard. After a few minutes of this you should get the hang of it!

 

Other Musical Alphabet Tips

Learn the musical alphabet backwards and forwards. This helps in learning melodies, because melodies go both up and down.

Play on the keys and say out loud: (Making sure you say the same name as the key you’re playing!)

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G….

G F E D C B A G F E D C B A….

Learn to skip notes of the alphabet, because chords are built using every other note. Often melodies follow the notes of a chord.

Play and say these examples:

A C E

B D F

C E G

D E F

E G B

F A C

G B D

Notice how some of these note combinations sound similar, and some sound different.