The Notes on the Piano Keyboard

This is Part One of a 3-part Series:

1. (You are here) Piano Notes – The Notes on the Piano Keyboard

2. The Musical Alphabet

3. The C Major Scale

The Piano Staff

When you look at the chart above, you will notice that the piano staff is actually two staves joined together. The top staff, called the treble clef, shows the notes to be played by the right hand. Below that is the bass clef, which shows the notes to be played by the left hand. The two staves joined together are called the “grandstaff.”

The Piano Keys

Looking again at the chart above, notice the pattern of white keys and black keys. The black keys are in groups of two and three keys, and that pattern repeats. This pattern helps you find your way around the white keys (otherwise the white keys all look the same!). For example, you can find any “C” on the keyboard by finding a group of two black keys. The white key directly on the left of the two black keys is “C.”
Black keys can be both sharps or flats. For example, the black key to the right of “C” can be called “C sharp” or “D flat.” (It is also directly to the left of “D.”)

How to Find Middle C

To find “middle C,” look for the group of two black keys closest to the middle of the keyboard. “C” is the note directly on the left of those two black keys. “Middle C” is also the “C” closest to the brand name of the piano on the fall board.

This note is called “middle C” for another reason. “Middle C” is also the note midway between the bass clef (left hand) and the treble clef (right hand).