Piano keys,
labeled.

The white keys repeat seven letters, C D E F G A B. The black keys are the sharps and flats between them. Tap any key to hear it and see its name.

Tap a key to hear it

Find C first.

The black keys come in groups of two and three. C is the white key just left of every group of two. Find one C and you can name every other key by counting up the alphabet: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, then C again.

F is the white key just left of every group of three, a second landmark to read from.

C C3 Do D D3 Re E E3 Mi F F3 Fa G G3 Sol A A3 La B B3 Ti C C4 Do D D4 Re E E4 Mi F F4 Fa G G4 Sol A A4 La B B4 Ti C♯
D♭ C♯3 Di D♯
E♭ D♯3 Ri F♯
G♭ F♯3 Fi G♯
A♭ G♯3 Si A♯
B♭ A♯3 Li C♯
D♭ C♯4 Di D♯
E♭ D♯4 Ri F♯
G♭ F♯4 Fi G♯
A♭ G♯4 Si A♯
B♭ A♯4 Li

C sits just left of each group of two black keys

Black keys: sharps and flats.

Each black key has two names. Named from the white key below it, it is a sharp (♯): the key right of C is C sharp. Named from the white key above it, it is a flat (♭): the same key is D flat.

Between E and F, and between B and C, there is no black key. That is why the black keys fall into groups of two and three.

C C4 Do D D4 Re E E4 Mi F F4 Fa G G4 Sol A A4 La B B4 Ti C♯
D♭ C♯4 Di D♯
E♭ D♯4 Ri F♯
G♭ F♯4 Fi G♯
A♭ G♯4 Si A♯
B♭ A♯4 Li

The five black keys of one octave, each with two names

Middle C and octave numbers.

Middle C is the C nearest the middle of the piano, usually under the brand name. On a full piano it is the fourth C from the left, which is why it is called C4.

The number counts octaves: every C starts a new one. The notes from C4 up to the next B are all in octave 4, so the E above middle C is E4 and the C above that octave is C5.

F F3 Fa G G3 Sol A A3 La B B3 Ti C C4 Do D D4 Re E E4 Mi F F4 Fa G G4 Sol F♯
G♭ F♯3 Fi G♯
A♭ G♯3 Si A♯
B♭ A♯3 Li C♯
D♭ C♯4 Di D♯
E♭ D♯4 Ri F♯
G♭ F♯4 Fi

Middle C, also called C4

88 keys, 52 white and 36 black.

A full piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black. The lowest key is A0 and the highest is C8, a little over seven octaves.

Smaller keyboards cut keys from both ends; most start on a C. Every key on a 61-key keyboard is also on a piano, with the same name.

A A0 La B B0 Ti C C1 Do D D1 Re E E1 Mi F F1 Fa G G1 Sol A A1 La B B1 Ti C C2 Do D D2 Re E E2 Mi F F2 Fa G G2 Sol A A2 La B B2 Ti C C3 Do D D3 Re E E3 Mi F F3 Fa G G3 Sol A A3 La B B3 Ti C C4 Do D D4 Re E E4 Mi F F4 Fa G G4 Sol A A4 La B B4 Ti C C5 Do D D5 Re E E5 Mi F F5 Fa G G5 Sol A A5 La B B5 Ti C C6 Do D D6 Re E E6 Mi F F6 Fa G G6 Sol A A6 La B B6 Ti C C7 Do D D7 Re E E7 Mi F F7 Fa G G7 Sol A A7 La B B7 Ti C C8 Do

All 88 keys: A0 at the left, middle C, C8 at the right

Now read them on the staff.

Every key has its place in sheet music. Learn where the notes sit on the treble clef and the bass clef, then name them against the clock in Clef Chase, a free game on this same keyboard.

Play Clef Chase

Good to know.

What are the names of the piano keys?

The white keys are named C, D, E, F, G, A and B, repeating up the keyboard. Each black key is the sharp of the white key below it or the flat of the white key above it, such as C sharp or D flat.

How do I find middle C?

Look for a group of two black keys near the middle of the keyboard, usually under the brand name. The white key just left of it is middle C, also called C4.

How many keys does a piano have?

88: 52 white keys and 36 black keys, from A0 at the bottom to C8 at the top.

Why are there no black keys between E and F or B and C?

Those white keys are already a half step apart, the smallest step on the piano. Every other pair of neighbouring white keys is a whole step apart, with a black key in between.

What are Do Re Mi on the piano?

Solfège syllables. With C as Do, the white keys are Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Ti.