Learning Piano – Knowing the Notes
When learning the piano, a teacher will identify the middle C key and usually label it Key 1. The next key is 2 and so on. Beginners learn to play by numbers at first to familiarize them with the keyboard. But it’s important to know the notes that correspond to these keys as future pieces of music will be identified by notes, not numbers.
Treble and bass staffs are made up of five lines each. A set of two of these staffs makes up a line of music. Between the five lines of the staff are four spaces. Each line and space has a letter note that corresponds to it.
The treble staff lines start at the bottom and progress upward in this manner – E, G, B, D, and F. Some teachers use mnemonics to help people keep these straight – like Every Good Boy Does Fine. The spaces between these lines are F, A, C, and E. These spell the word FACE, and therefore can be easy to remember.
The bass staff lines are a little different, starting at the bottom line with G, B, D, F, and A. The mnemonic for this one is Good Boys Do Fine Always. The spaces are A, C, E, and G – All Cows Eat Grass. Some beginners will work through a piece of music using these mnemonics and write the corresponding letters next to the notes, which is a good way to get used to reading music in that way.
Music is written in sections, called bars, on each staff. These are signified by the vertical line at the end of each note section.
The time signature defines the timing in which the piece is to be played. This is identified to the left of each staff line. A time of 4/4 means that there will be four beats per bar and that the quarter note will have a beat of one. (The upper number defines the beat per bar and the lower number defines which note will get one beat).
The next step is learning the different types of notes that can be assigned to these letters. Quarter notes are the most basic and are identified as 1/4 for timing; half notes are identified by 1/2; and eighth notes as 1/8. But in 4/4 time, there would be four quarter notes per bar, two half notes per bar, and eight eighth notes per bar. A whole note would sound for the entire measure/bar for the four beats. It is basically a math problem in determining how many notes would make up the bar or measure.
The main thing that beginners need to realize is that this part of learning piano can be difficult and it will take time and practice. The key is to not get discouraged and quit. Perseverance pays off. |
