Piano 101: Learn the White and Black Keys [with Video Tutorial]
Welcome to the piano!
As you begin to learn the basics of the keyboard, you will first want to learn and memorize the name of each key.
The white keys
You will notice that the piano keyboard has black and white keys, and the black keys appear in groups of 2 and 3.
Begin by finding the group of 2 black keys in the middle of the piano.
Then find the white key directly to the left of this group.
This is Middle C. (C is the name of the note, and it is called middle C because it is in the middle of the piano.)
In English, our alphabet is A to Z. However, the musical alphabet is from A to G, and then it repeats… A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, etc.
These are the names of the white keys on the piano.
Print this chart or save it to your device so you always have a reference while practicing:
The black keys
Each black key on the piano has two names: a sharp (#) name, and a flat (b) name.
Sharp means to the right, and flat indicates to the left.
For example, the black key directly to the right of C is C#.
This same key is also called Db because it is directly to the left of D.
Using this principle, we can find the names of all of the black keys, as shown in the diagram above.
How this is used in real music
Knowing the key names is just the start. The real growth comes when you discover how to use them to play songs.
Next, you can discover how to play worship songs or how to form chords in any key!
Stop guessing—start playing worship piano
Turn these notes into real songs with the Worship Essentials Membership. Learn chords, progressions, and patterns so you can play worship songs confidently.
