Piano Keyboard Layout for Both Pianos and Electronic Keyboards

Both Pianos and Electronic Keyboards have the same basic piano keyboard layout.

While the Piano keyboard layout normally as 88 keys, most electronic keyboards have either 49, 61, 76, or 88 keys with 61 being the most common and also the minimum recommended for learning to play a keyboard instrument.

So the first thing we need to know is how to name the keys on the keyboard.

There are a total of 12 notes that repeat themselves from Left to right, or Bottom to top, of the keyboard.

Our approach to teaching the piano and keyboard is a very visual one so at the end of this article you should be able to find any of the 12 notes in any area of the piano keyboard layout.

Notice the sets of two and sets of three black keys on the keyboard.

Look for the White key that is directly to the left of the set of two black Keys closest to the center of the keyboard.

That note is called Middle C.

Now find, and play all the C's on the keyboard.

Notice how you eyes first found the set of two black keys and then touched the white key just to the left?

That set of two black keys acts like a little signpost saying C note to the left.

I will be pointing our many visual tricks to help you get to know the piano keyboard layout.

Now that you have found the Middle C on your keyboard layout. Naming the white keys becomes easy.

Going up the keyboard, to the right from middle C the next white note would be D, followed by E,F,G, A, B and then C again.

Notice that when you play all the white notes from C to C you will here a familiar little melody called the major scale.

Did you recognize it?

Remember Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do from school.

Don't worry about piano fingering now. This is just to familiarize yourself with finding notes on the piano keyboard layout

Now if I were ask you to find the white note F you have two options at this point.

Find C and then count up C,D,E,F or, better yet, notice that the F key is right to the left of the set of three black notes.

Now you can quickly find all the F notes by using the set of three black keys a a visual reference point.

Easy right?

Now find all the D notes on the keyboard.

The D note is located right to the right of C and also between the two black notes that are grouped in sets of two.

Again another visual trick to locate D. Take some time now and find each note up and down the keyboard. Good work, You now should be able to find any white note on the piano keyboard layout.

Now for the black notes.

The black notes at first may seem a little confusing as each of the 5 black notes have two names.

What we call these black keys depends on how they are approached for the sake of this lesson.

It I play the play the black key to the right of middle C, the first in a set of two black keys, that key is named C sharp.

If I approach if from the white key D, that same note is called D flat. They may be read as C#, ( # meaning sharp) and Db, ( b meaning flat.)

Confusing?

I know it may be but worry not.

Right now I just want you to be able to find any note on the keyboard.

So we have 5 black notes each with two names ( C#,Db)...(D#, Eb)...( F#, Gb)... (G#, Ab)...(A#, Bb).

We will learn more about sharps and flats in our study on Piano Scales. If you feel comfortable with this lesson click the link below to continue part one of understanding music scales...

music scales, part one, whole and half steps
from piano keyboard layout to piano theory
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