Lesson 1: Black Notes Are Key To Knowing The Piano Key Layout

The piano key layout must become a solid image in your mind if you want to play with confidence. The keys on a piano are arranged in a simple pattern which you need to see mentally and feel physically with your hands.

(The exercises here may seem simple, but you should still repeat them many times a day, for several days, as you are trying to develop your “inner keyboard”, physically & mentally. Also, the instructions for fingerings and hand switching are purposeful.)

For all exercises, indeed every time you sit down to play, be aware of your hand position and your sitting position at the piano.

Exercise for knowing piano key layout:

1. Basic Exercise: Play all the groups of two, from the bottom of the keyboard (the left end) to the top (the right end), and then back down (ascending & descending).

The Variations: (mix and match as you please…have fun!)

- start with left hand at the bottom half of the keyboard, switch to right hand in the middle (ascending), and vice-versa (descending)

- hand over hand (alternating)

- play the notes simultaneously (harmonically)

- play the notes individually (melodically), goofing around with the order of notes

- try all these finger combinations: 1&2, 2&3, 3&4, 4&5

2. Basic Exercise & Variations: same as above using groups of three. (finger combinations: 1&2&3, 2&3&4, 3&4&5)

Black Note Songs

-you may be able to figure these tunes out by ear, but make sure you use the fingerings suggested below, with the correct starting position.

Use a set of three blacks & one from *set of 2- play near middle of keyboard for best sound - play 3x with rh, 3x with lh, 3x with both hands

Right hand (rh): (start with #3 on the top note of the 3 blacks)

3 2 1 2 3 3 3, 2 2 2, 3 *5 *5,

3 2 1 2 3 3 3, 3 2 2 3 2 1

Left hand (lh): (start with #3 on the top note of the 3 blacks)

3 4 5 4 3 3 3, 4 4 4, 3 *1 *1,

3 4 5 4 3 3 3, 3 4 4 3 4 5

Use a set of 3 blacks, with a set of 2 blacks (* & ^) , & one “w” white note in between:- “w”: the white note is a half-step up from the set of 3 blacks- play near middle of keyboard for best sound - play 3x with rh, 3x with lh, 3x with both hands

rh: (#1 on the bottom note of the 3 blacks, #5 on the 2 blacks)


1 1 *5 *5 ^5 ^5 *5, w4 w4 3 3 2 2 1

*5 *5 w4 w4 3 3 2, *5 *5 w4 w4 3 3 2,

1 1 *5 *5 ^5 ^5 *5, w4 w4 3 3 2 2 1

lh: (#5 on the bottom note of the 3 blacks, #1 on the 2 blacks)

5 5 *1 *1 ^1 ^1 *1, w2 w2 3 3 4 4 5

*1 *1 w2 w2 3 3 4, *1 *1 w2 w2 3 3 4,

5 5 *1 *1 ^1 ^1 *1, w2 w2 3 3 4 4 5

An editorial comment: Once you’ve learned to read music, this type of arcane fingering notation will be unnecessary.

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