The keyboard and its keys
A keyboard is a row of keys. Each key plays one fixed pitch. Pitch means how high or low a note sounds. Going right, the pitch goes up. Going left, it goes down.
The pattern of keys repeats every 12 keys. One repeat is an octave. In one octave there are 7 white keys (the note names C D E F G A B) and 5 black keys. A full piano has 88 keys. The same note name in the next octave sounds twice as high, so it blends with the first.
Find C: look for a group of two black keys. The white key just left of that group is C. Use groups of 2 and 3 as your map.
The keyboard family: piano, organ, harpsichord, electronic
- Piano: a key moves a small felt hammer that hits a string. A harder hit makes a louder sound. That is why it was named pianoforte, "soft-loud".
- Organ: keys open pipes of air. The sound stays the same loudness as long as you hold the key. It has several keyboards and a pedalboard for the feet.
- Harpsichord: a key makes a small quill pluck the string. The loudness does not change with touch.
- Electronic keyboard: keys send signals to a computer chip that makes the sound. Many can copy all the others.
All four are played with the same finger numbers and scales, so what you learn on one helps on the rest.
Posture, hand shape and finger numbers
Sit on the front half of the chair, back straight but relaxed. Keep your elbows about level with the keys. Let your shoulders drop.
Make a round hand, as if holding a small ball. Fingertips touch the keys, wrists stay level. Number the fingers 1 to 5, starting from the thumb, on both hands. In the first position, the right hand rests on C D E F G with fingers 1 2 3 4 5.
If your hand hurts or feels tight, stop and relax. Music should never need force.
Touch, loudness and the pedal
Touch is how you press a key. On a piano, how fast the key goes down decides how loud the note is. Loud is called forte (f) and soft is piano (p). Use the weight of your arm, not a stiff finger.
Two touches you should know: legato (smooth, notes joined) and staccato (short and detached).
The right foot works the sustain pedal. When it is down, the strings keep ringing after you lift your fingers. Press it just after you play a chord and lift it just before the next one. A habit of keeping it down all the time makes the music muddy.
Scales and fingering
A scale is a ladder of notes. The C major scale uses only white keys: C D E F G A B C. The right hand fingering going up is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5. After finger 3 the thumb slides under the hand to land on F. The left hand goes the other way: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1.
Why plan fingering? Good fingering lets the hand move smoothly and avoids sudden jumps. Practise slowly, hands separate first, then together. Use a steady beat.
Reading: the right hand usually reads the treble staff and the left hand the bass staff, in the same bar.
How to practise a keyboard solo piece
- Look at the key signature, time signature and the hardest bar first.
- Play slowly, hands separate.
- Pencil in finger numbers where you stumble.
- Put hands together in small chunks, 2 bars at a time.
- Add dynamics and pedal last.
- Play it through without stopping, like a concert, once a day.
Short daily practice (15 to 20 minutes) works better than one long weekly session.
Try it
find every C on a keyboard (or phone piano) by looking for the group of two black keys. Then play 1 2 3 4 5 with your right hand and press the same key slowly and quickly. Which is louder?
Key formulas and definitions
- Octave = 12 keys = 7 white + 5 black; 88 keys on a full piano
- Right-hand C major scale fingering: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
- Loud = forte (f); soft = piano (p); smooth = legato; short = staccato
- Same note, next octave: frequency × 2 (A = 440 Hz, next A = 880 Hz)
Worked examples
1. How many white and black keys are in one octave?
There are 7 white keys and 5 black keys, so 12 keys in all.
2. A piano has 52 white keys. How many octaves of white keys is that, roughly?
Each octave has 7 white keys. 52 ÷ 7 ≈ 7.4, so a bit more than 7 octaves.
3. The note A is 440 Hz. What is the frequency of the A one octave higher?
One octave up doubles the frequency: 440 × 2 = 880 Hz.
4. Write the right-hand fingering for the C major scale going up.
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5. The thumb slides under after finger 3.
Common mistakes
- Flat, straight fingers. Keep a round hand, like holding a small ball.
- Banging the keys for loudness. Use arm weight and speed, not stiff force.
- Holding the pedal down all the time, which blurs the sounds. Lift it with each new chord.
- Skipping finger numbers and just guessing. Plan fingering and write it down.