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When writing an article about piano notes you are immediately put at a disadvantage because, in order to show musical notation on the internet, you either need to use special software or you have to reproduce your illustrations from image files. Unfortunately, since the software that runs article websites tends not to support such programs, at least not in a way that would enable the display of musical illustrations, it is simply not possible to show any.

However, we will do our best to explain what the title of this article has called, ‘The A to G of Piano Notes’.

If you have a piano keyboard of any kind, you might now wish to sit in front of it. Alternatively, go to a website that displays illustrations of piano keyboards, or open a music book that contains such an illustration.

Now locate middle C. You will see that the black notes are grouped in two’s and three’s alternately along the whole length of the keyboard. Find the two black notes in the middle, and Middle C is the white note that sits to the left of them. Middle C is important because it’s the first piano note that you will learn to identify. So, providing you get this right, everything else will follow naturally.

All students of piano start from learning this note. It’s the easiest note to learn about because it also signifies the beginning of the key of C Major and this key contains all white notes.

So, using your right hand, put your thumb on Middle C and play that key. Then put your index finger on the note that follows, which is D. When you play the third note, E, tuck your thumb under your hand so you can reach the next note with it. This note is F. When you play G, the note that follows marks one of the strange characteristics of musical notation. You run out of letters and have to go to the beginning of the alphabet, this note is A. The penultimate note of the scale of C Major is B, before you arrive at the C note one octave up from your starting position.

Congratulations, you have just played your first scale. Now play the same notes in the reverse order, keeping all the same fingerings you used on the way up. Once you’ve mastered this exercise, play the same scale an octave lower with the left hand. Start on your little finger and when you get to your thumb cross your third finger over it to play the A note, then play B with your index finger and on to Middle C.

On both counts, the notes used are the same, namely:

C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C

CAN YOU SPOT THE SHAPE OF THE MAJOR SCALES? JUST LISTEN TO EACH!

Each note on the piano marks the start of a scale. Whilst C Major contains no sharps or flats, i.e. black notes, all the other keys involve the use of different black notes. For example, if you put your thumb on C Major again, your little finger naturally comes to rest on G Major. This key contains F sharp, so, put your thumb on G, your index finger on the next note, A, and your third finger on B. Then, tuck your thumb under your hand again to play C, then D and E, but, when you come to F, instead of hitting the white key, play the black key above it. That’s F sharp and brings you to the next note, G, an octave higher than your starting point.

Now, play C Major and then G Major immediately afterwards. Both scales, although they contain different key combinations and, therefore, sound different, have exactly the same shape. Can you hear it? Can you identify it? If you can, you should be able to pick up exactly the same similarity in EVERY key.

So, there’s a challenge to you to learn all your scales.

Use this very short lesson as a spur to learning all the other Major scales and you’ll quickly be on your way to becoming a successful piano player.

CONCLUSION

Despite the difficulty of showing images of piano notes in this article, you can find countless illustrations all over the internet of how to make music on the piano, including some incredibly good video examples. And although there’s an awful lot of poor quality material on the net, the quality of the best material continues to get better still. By adopting a few exercises like those described above, you can learn to make music on the piano very quickly by tuning in to a more visual mix of lessons and learning ‘the A to G of piano notes’.

Tony Dunne has put together a complimentary report on piano lessons that will help you decide on all the issues, and much more besides, outlined in this short article. To download the report instantly click here.