Copyright © 2006-2012 Myzeez. All rights reserved
Keys on the Piano Keyboard.
Main Activity: Naming white keys and listening for high and low sounds
Take a look at this piano your keyboard.
You will notice that it is made up of white keys and black keys.
Did you notice anything special about the black keys?
Sure. They are divided into groups of two’s and three’s
There is a group of two black keys, the white keys, and then there is group of three. We sometimes call a group a set. So, we
could say, we have a set of 2 black keys, a set of 3 black keys, and then another set of 2 and so on to the end of the keyboard.
If you have access to a piano, you might find one sole black key at the end. Why? Ouch! There was no more space for the
builder to put anymore keys.
If you have access to a piano or a keyboard, grasp the sets of black keys from left to right. Otherwise, visually identify them on
a diagram of a keyboard. Say: a set of two black keys; a set of three black keys; and so on.
Each black key has a name and each white key has a name. Today you are going to learn the names of the white keys. So look at
the keyboard again. There is a white key between the set two black keys. The name of this white key is D. The name of the
white key between ALL the sets of TWO black keys on the piano is D.
When you have access to a piano or a keyboard, strike all the Ds. Listen to the difference in pitch. The keys to the left are
lower; they get higher and higher as you move right.
The white key to the immediate left of D is C; and the one to the immediate right is E. Find all the Cs and all the Es on the
keyboard or piano.
Now look at the set of three black keys. F is the white key to the immediate left of the set of three blacks; B is to the immediate
right of the set of three black keys. G comes after F and A before B. Now look at them on this diagram.
What do you notice? Yes. The key names are A B C D E F G. Yes! The first 7 letters of the English Alphabet used over and
Two black keys Three Black Keys Two black keys Three Black Keys
Innovative communication through the arts of language and music