20: The Piano Keyboard
Why Learn the Keyboard?
Notes are laid out on the keyboard in a very simple way which is easy to
comprehend, and the visual aid is a great help when trying to understand
nearly all of the concepts you’ll find in this and other sections.
In fact, one of the definitions of a half step is two adjacent keys on the
piano, so there you go.
If you’ve been using your keyboard template on the Reviews, you’ve
already become familiar with the keyboard, and maybe even some notes
on it.
I don’t want to insult your intelligence, but I’ve got to say it. Lower notes
are toward the left of the keyboard and higher notes are to the right.Note Names on the Keyboard
All of the white keys are natural notes, (A-G). All of the black keys are
notes with accidentals (sharps or flats). Notice in the keyboard below
how the black keys are grouped: two black, then three black, then two
black, etcetera, etcetera, all the way up and down the keyboard.
Any white key to the left of a group of two black keys is the note C. Any
white key directly to the left of three black keys is F. If you’d rather find
the A because it’s the beginning of the alphabet, it’s between the second
and third black keys.Example 20.1 A short chunk of the piano keyboard.