The very first time you sit down in front of a piano, it can be a little intimidating. With that many keys, how will you ever learn them all?

Chances are you’ve heard of middle C. Middle C is the C closest to the center of the piano. This is the key that keeps you anchored when you play. It’s usually about where you sit, and it will be an active part of the majority of your songs.

Middle C is usually found under the brand of the piano located above the keys.

• On a 61 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
• On a 76 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
• On a 88 key piano, it’s the 4th C.

The music alphabet runs from the letters A through G. A always comes after G, and begins the alphabet over again. And every letter to letter of the alphabet is an octave – A through G is one octave.

When you sit down and play an octave – A through G – the tone will never change. The range will sound different, and be lower or higher depending on the range of notes you play. But overall, you will hear the same tonal quality from octave to octave.

A piano’s black keys always form the pattern of a set of 2 followed by a set of 3. Find any set of 2 black keys; the white key in the middle will always be a D. From the D, you can move up and down the alphabet, filling in the letters.

The black keys from the sharps and the flats. They are a half way point between the tonal quality of a note. If you move to the black key to the right of the G, for instance, you will press the G sharp key. The black key to the left will give you a G flat.

Now that you understand what each piano key represents, learn to recognize them quickly by reviewing often, and applying it to the way you play every day.