Basics of Learning to Play the Piano With Letter Notes – Learn To Play In One Day

Sound names:

Each key on the keyboard (or any other keyboard instrument) corresponds to one of the letters: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. You can best understand this by looking at the picture below.

Some of the white keys have shorter black keys in between.
• The black key to the right of the C key is the C# key.
• The black key to the right of the D key is the D# key.
• There is no black key to the right of the E key.
• The black key to the right of the F key is the F# key.
• The black key to the right of the G key is the G# key.
• The black key to the right of the A key is the A# key.

Description of the entire keyboard:

The above pattern (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) is repeated several times on your instrument’s keyboard. In order not to confuse the letters, we add numbers to them depending on their position on the keyboard.

• In the very centre of the keyboard, the letters have no numbers added.
• They are numbered 2 to the right of the keyboard, and 3 further to the right.
• They are numbered -2 to the left of the keyboard, and -3 further to the left.

As in the drawing. If you have a keyboard with less keys, find the centre C sound and disregard the lowest and the highest sounds.

Learning to Play in Three Steps

STEP 1 - Practice the key names and play with your right hand.

If you are just starting to learn to play the piano, a good way to remember all the names of the keys (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) is to only learn to play with your right hand.

Just ignore the left hand notes (the ones in the squares) and play only with your right hand. Thanks to this, you will practice the names of the keys well and get used to the keyboard.

You will switch to the two-handed play once you have mastered the names of all the keys.

Always listen to the recordings (page 13) before learning to play!

STEP 2 - Add your left hand to the right one.

Do you already know key names? Can you already play with your right hand? If yes, add your left hand.

Now if you see a square with a letter in the middle above the note for your right hand – press this key with your left hand.

Continue the play with your right hand and keep the key pressed with your left hand for some time, but no longer than when you come across the next square with the letter in the middle.

STEP 3 - A two-handed play with chords.

Two-handed play is no longer a problem for you?

Instead of playing only single notes with your left hand, play whole chords (3 keys at the same time).

If, for example, you see the letter “C” in a square, then instead of playing only the C note with your left hand, play the entire C chord.

You will find a list of all the chords and keys you need to press to play them in the attached chord table.

It is best to practice all the chords in the song first before playing it.

Learning to Play in Three Steps

What do our letter notes look like:

Our letter notes allow you to play with two hands. Larger letters represent the notes for the right hand. Smaller letters in the squares represent the notes (chords) for the left hand.