Piano Key/Note Names

Welcome to the piano! As you begin to learn the basics of the keyboard, you will first want to memorize the name of each key. You will notice that the piano keyboard has black and white keys, and the black keys appear in groups of 2 and 3.

The White Keys

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.

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.

For a more detailed disucssion of how to find the names of the black and white keys on the piano, watch this video from the Beginning Worship Piano course:

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn how to play worship piano, check out my Worship Essentials courses. This unique approach combines a simple, easy-to-follow method of learning the piano along with teachings on the heart of worship - and it has proven successful for people of all ages and levels.

Or, if you would prefer one-on-one instruction, consider online lessons. Lessons incorporate the same content of the Worship Essentials courses but have the added bonus of one-on-one coaching and instruction.

Happy worshipping!