A piano keyboard diagram is shown and explained below. This section will help you better understand the layout of a piano keyboard.
Let’s first of all take a look at an unlabeled piano keyboard layout, i.e. without the note names. The one shown in the first piano keyboard layout has two octaves, a total of 24 notes. In an 88 key piano, there are 36 black keys and 52 white keys. 76 key keyboards come with 31 black keys and 45 white keys, 61 key keyboards come with 25 black keys and 36 white keys, while 49 key keyboards have 20 black keys and 29 white ones.
Someone new to the piano may feel overwhelmed when they first take a look at its keys. “How do I remember so many notes?” But as we shall see later it is very simple to understand. Hint: repetition. Highly Recommended: Click here for the BEST piano/keyboard course I’ve come across online.
Here’s a simple piano keyboard diagram (below this paragraph). The white keys are all labeled. If you look closely, you will realize that the same note names are being repeated over and over. These notes are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Whether it’s a 49, 61, 76 or 88 key keyboard, this is the note pattern of a piano.
In the piano keyboard layout immediately below this paragraph, I have ventured to add a more complete piano keyboard diagram. As you will see, both the black and white keys have been named. As for the black keys, they each have two note names. There’s D-Flat (or C-Sharp), E-Flat (or D-Sharp), G-Flat (or F-Sharp), A-Flat (or G-Sharp) and B-Flat (or A-Sharp).
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To help you better understand sharps (♯) and flats (♭), let’s find out what a semitone is. A semitone is also called a half step or half tone and is the smallest interval used in Western music. It is the distance between two notes which are next to one another in pitch. So the distance between C and C-Sharp is one semitone, the distance between D and D-Sharp is one semitone and the same can be said for the distance between A and A-flat.
What is the note that is one semitone higher than C? The answer is C-Sharp. What is the note that is one semitone higher than D? The answer is D-Sharp. Let’s go the other way around. What is the note that is one semitone lower than D? The answer is D-Flat. One semitone lower than E? It’s E-Flat.
A whole tone means a distance of two semitones, i.e. the distance between two notes which are separated by one other note in pitch. For instance, C and D, D and E, and F and G are each one whole tone apart.
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A piano has a 12-key pattern. This can be seen in the piano keyboard diagram above. While there are many notes on a piano, it’s really 12 keys being repeated over and over. On an acoustic piano it is repeated over 7 times. We see in our piano keyboard layout above that the 12 keys are C, C-Sharp (D-Flat), D, D-sharp (E-Flat), E, F, F-Sharp (G-Flat), G, G-Sharp (A-Flat), A, A-Sharp (B-Flat), and B. Take a look at the piano keyboard chart below. It consists of the 12 keys of a piano or music keyboard.
To better understand the piano keys layout see how the black keys on a piano are grouped together in groups of two’s and three’s. Do you notice how many groups of two’s there are? How about the groups of three’s?
You will also notice that the note C always comes before the group of 2 flats (or sharps), while F always comes before the group of 3 flats (or sharps). On a 49 key keyboard, there are 5 C’s, on a 61 and 76 key keyboard there are 6 C’s, and there’s 8 on an 88 key keyboard.
- The lowest note on a 49-key keyboard is C and the highest is C.
- The lowest note on a 61-key keyboard is C and the highest is C.
- The lowest note on a 76-key keyboard is E and the highest is G.
- The lowest note on an 88-key piano is A and the highest is C.
If you have an 88 key piano (find diagram here), look at your piano keyboard layout and find middle C. Middle C lies towards the center of your keyboard. It’s not exactly in the center of the keyboard but it’s the centermost C. The location of this note is very important to remember when learning to play the piano. The piano keyboard diagram below shows the various piano notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B. There’s a treble clef, a bass clef and a grand staff. Notice that the “C” in the treble clef and the “C” in the bass clef are the same note. This is the point where they cross and meet on the Grand Staff. It is known as Middle C.
Piano Keyboard Keys Layout – 49 Key Piano Keyboard Notes
The following is the layout of notes on a 49 key piano keyboard.
Piano Keyboard Keys Layout – 61 Key Piano Keyboard Notes
The following is the layout of notes on a 61 key piano keyboard.
Go here for 32, 36, 37, 49, 54, 61 and 76 key keyboard layouts.
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Further Reading
- Full Piano Key Chart
- Printable Piano Keyboard Template
- Piano Notes and Keys
- Free Piano Lessons
- Virtual Piano
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