Chapter 1. Natural Notes
Theory
This first chapter teaches you about natural notes. I explain what natural notes are by using the piano keyboard. Are you not yet familiar with the piano keyboard? First, I show you how the keyboard is structured. Then, you learn the names of the white keys. To practice the structure of the piano keyboard, you'll do an exercise to be played on the piano. Don't you have a keyboard at your disposal? No problem, then you can skip this exercise. In the video, I show you what natural notes are and what they are called. You’ll practice these names at the end of this chapter.
1. The piano keyboard
The keyboard has a regularly recurring pattern of white and black keys. The black keys are subdivided into evenly repeated groups of two and three keys. The keys descend in tone towards the left, and ascend in tone towards the right.
Exercises to be played on the piano
Learn about the division of white and black keys.
|
Playing this black key along the length of the keyboard, we can hear that the tone is the same, only the keys make it sound higher or lower. The tones sound fine when they are played together – they are, after all, the same tone!
On most pianos, there is a single black key at the lowest end of the keyboard. This black key is the right-hand key in the group of three black keys.
The white keys can be recognized with the help of the black keys.
|
Playing this white key along the length of the keyboard, we can hear that the tone is the same, only the keys make it sound higher or lower. The tones sound fine when they are played together – they are, after all, the same tone!
- There are three white keys grouped around the group of two black keys.
- There are four white keys grouped around the group of three black keys.
There are seven different white keys, and five different black keys.
2. Natural notes: the names of the white keys
These seven white keys are called natural notes and are named A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
Video
Explanation
Which name belongs to which key?
Have a look at an overview of the key names.
As you would expect, the note Middle C is positioned (almost) in the middle of the keyboard.
This is what Middle C sounds like
On most pianos, the lowest white key on the keyboard is an A.
3. Practise
Note Reading exercise 1: practise the names of the white keys