How To Guides
Understanding notes is one of the first steps to learning the piano and reading music. Think of piano notes as the alphabet of music – to read music, you must first know the alphabet.
Understanding piano notes is the key to unlocking your potential on the keyboard. If you’re dreaming of learning some of your favorite songs on the piano, understanding piano notes is a must-have skill.
Ready to start reading sheet music? We’ll introduce the basics of piano notes and get you started on your musical journey!
Table of contents
What are piano notes?
At its core, music is made up of notes, which are the building blocks of every melody, harmony, and chord. Piano notes are a visual representation of the sounds you make when you press a key on the keyboard. These notes are named after the first seven letters of the English alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
After G, the pattern repeats. For example, after G, the A note will come again. This is known as an octave. For instance, you can have two A notes an octave apart. Notes higher on the staff are also higher in pitch, whereas notes lower are lower in pitch.
Each note corresponds to a specific pitch. Each key on the piano, whether white or black, represents one of these pitches. White keys represent the natural notes (A-G), and the black keys represent sharps (♯) and flats (♭). These are the notes between the natural ones.
Once you know where to find each note on the keyboard, you’ll be ready to start playing the piano!
Keyboard layout
At first glance, the piano keyboard might seem overwhelming. However, if you look closer, you’ll notice that it follows a pattern. The same black and white keys repeat from left to right. Understanding this layout is key to playing the piano and knowing where each note is located.
One way to simplify the keyboard layout is to distinguish between white and black keys.
White keys
The white keys on the piano represent natural notes in the musical alphabet. These are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Once you reach G, the pattern starts over again with A, just one octave apart. This repetition continues across the entire keyboard. You will find the same note in several different octaves.
Black keys
The black keys are grouped in sets of two and three, which makes it easy to navigate the keyboard. These keys represent the notes between the white keys. They are called:
- Sharps (♯): A sharp raises a note by a half-step. For example, the black key to the right of C is C♯ (or C sharp).
- Flats (♭): A flat lowers a note by a half-step. For example, the same black key to the right of C, but to the left of D, can be called D♭ (or D flat).
Finding middle C
A great reference point to begin with is middle C. In sheet music, it is located on a so-called ledger line between two staves. You can find middle C by looking for the group of two black keys near the middle of the keyboard. Middle C is the white key immediately to the left of these two black keys. Use this piano key as a reference point when looking for other notes.
Reading sheet music
Reading sheet music is like learning a new language. Just like a foreign language, sheet music may feel overwhelming at first. Once you understand the basics, you’ll see how it all comes together to create music. Let’s break it down step by step.
The basics of the musical staff
The staff is the foundation of sheet music. It’s made up of 5 lines and 4 spaces between the lines where notes are written. Each line and space corresponds to a specific note.
- The treble clef (or G clef) is used for higher notes, typically played with your right hand.
- – The notes on the lines are E, G, B, D, F
- – The notes on the spaces are F, A, C, E
- The bass clef (or F clef) is used for lower notes, typically played with your left hand.
- – The notes on the lines are G, B, D, F, A
- – The notes on the spaces are A, C, E, G
Together, the treble and bass clefs form what’s called the grand staff, which combines the high and low notes on the piano.
Memorizing the musical staff
Memorizing piano notes is a crucial step toward playing confidently and reading sheet music with ease. You can use mnemonics to help. They are memory aids that make it easier to remember the notes on the staff.
- Treble clef lines (E, G, B, D, F): “Every Good Boy Does Fine”
- Treble clef spaces (F, A, C, E): “FACE”
- Bass clef lines (G, B, D, F, A): “Good Boys Do Fine Always”
- Bass clef spaces (A, C, E, G): “All Cows Eat Grass”
Note durations and symbols
Music is not just about which notes to play but also how long each note lasts. Notes have different durations or note values, which are represented by their shapes. Keep in mind that a note’s length depends on the time signature. 4/4 is the most common time signature (also known as common time).
Whole note (4 beats)
A whole note is shown as an open circle with no stem. The whole note lasts for four beats, which is typically the length of one full measure in 4/4 time. This is the most common time signature you’ll encounter in Western popular music.
Half note (2 beats)
A half note is an open circle with a stem and lasts for two beats. It’s half the length of a whole note, meaning that two half notes are equally long as a whole note. A half note fills half of a four-beat measure.
Quarter note (1 beat)
A quarter note is a filled-in circle with a stem. In 4/4 time, a quarter note lasts for one beat. A single quarter note is 1/4 of a whole note and 1/2 of a half note.
Eighth note (½ beat)
An eighth note is a filled-in circle with a stem and a flag. It lasts for 1/2 of a beat and is often used in faster rhythms. Quarter notes are often grouped in sets of 2 or 4 notes per beat. You can have even shorter notes, such as sixteenth notes, that are half the duration of an eighth note.
Rests
Similar to notes of different lengths, you can have rests that are distinguished based on how long they last in relation to other notes. They indicate silence for a certain duration. For example:
- Whole rest: 4 beats of silence, shown as a filled-in rectangle below the staff.
- Half rest: 2 beats of silence. Indicated as a filled-in rectangle sitting on top of the staff.
- Quarter rest: 1 beat of silence. The quarter rest looks like a squiggly line resembling a backward 3.
- Eighth rest: 1/2 beat of silence. The symbol of an eight rest resembles a backward 7.
Beginner tips for learning piano keys
Now that you understand the basics of piano notes, it’s time to start making music! Here are the first steps to take as you begin your journey:
- Start with simple songs: Choose easy beginner songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
- Practice one hand at a time: Begin by practicing the melody (treble clef) with your right hand, and then focus on the bass (left hand). Once you’re comfortable, slowly combine both hands.
- Use reference notes: Use notes like middle C to locate where you are on the keyboard. These can be helpful when learning your way around the piano and learning note names.
- Learn basic scales: Scales help you get familiar with the keyboard layout and improve finger dexterity. Start with the C major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) and practice playing it up and down.
- Be patient and consistent: Learning piano is about building good habits. Practice daily, even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes.
- Use resources to aid learning: Use interactive apps like Yousician to make your practice time more effective and enjoyable.