How to Play the Keyboard
Look at the keyboard., Notice there are 2 different kinds of keys: Black keys, and white keys., Look at the keyboard again., Find the next C up on the keyboard., Find the C closest to the middle of the keyboard., Play a song., Learn keyboard your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look at the keyboard.
Whether you’re playing an iPad recreation of a vintage synth, a monster digital workstation keyboard, or a full-fledged concert grand piano, they all have exactly the same key layout, and may differ only in the number of keys. , It may look confusing at first but here are a couple things that will make it easier.
There are only 12 basic notes.
Every set of 12 notes is the same as every other set of 12 notes, only higher in pitch, or lower in pitch.
Every single white key is part of the C Major scale.
Every single black key is either called a “sharp” (#) or a “flat”(b). , Notice the pattern, starting from the C on the left side of the picture.
It has a tab pointing to the right.
The next note, D, has little tabs on each side, and the next note, E, has a tab to the left.
Notice the pattern of 2 white keys bracketing 2 black keys and a white key in the middle.
Notice the next group up has the same type of grouping, only with 3 black keys and 2 white keys in the middle, between the notes F and B. , Notice that the same pattern is there.
This is the same for every octave on the keyboard. , This is Middle C, or C3.
The C notes above it are C4, C5, C6, etc.
The C notes below it are known as C2, C1, C0. , Yes, that’s right.
It’s that easy! Start on C3, imagine yourself walking normally, and for every step you imagine, play the next white key up, until you reach C4—then stop.
Okay, it’s not much of a song, but all the basics were there—playing specific notes in a specific order for a specific amount of time.
This is what you played looks like on sheet music:
Play it again.
Just like before, imagine yourself walking, and for each step, play the next note up the keyboard.
This time, look at each note, reading from left to right, before you play it on the keyboard.
Now you're not only playing a song, you're reading music! , There are a couple basic ways to learn how to play the keyboard or piano.
Learn to read music.
You can teach yourself this invaluable skill, you can take lessons, or you can do both.
It's a great skill to learn, and it's a skill you can take with you should you wish to learn to sing, play the bassoon, the guitar, or the saxophone.
Learn by ear.
In some ways, this is easier.
You just listen to a song, and then figure out which keys on the keyboard make the same notes.
It's hard at first, but with a little ear training it gets easier.
Plus, you don't have to be bothered with learning what all those little black dots mean. , Go to your local music store, and explain to them that you are just learning to play the keyboard, what style of music you want to play, and if they can recommend a good book for beginners.
They will be able to recommend the right method for your style of learning.
They might also recommend a piano teacher.
If you want to become a skilled player, take their advice.
When first positioning your fingers, be aware that some sheet music has little numbers to help guide you.
These numbers represent your finger placement for the notes on the score.
These correspond to: 1=thumb, 2=index finger, 3=middle finger, 4=ring finger, and 5=little finger. , No method of learning is instant, and learning by ear is no different.
Remembering the sound of a song and finding which notes on the keyboard to press is a skill that takes some practice to develop.
The good news is that every great improviser in the world knows how to do it, so it's a skill that will never be wasted.
Here is how you can start. , It's pronounced "soul-fezh," and it means sight singing.
You already know the basics, if you know how to sing "do re mi." The notes of the basic solfège scale are as follows: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.
In the key of C (the white keys), this corresponds to C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. , On your keyboard, play the C scale we covered above.
For each note you play, sing the next note in the solfège scale.
Don't worry if your singing won't get you on American Idol.
The idea is to connect the sounds with the notes.
But what about the black notes? Here is the scale, including the black notes in italics: do-di-re-ri-mi-fa-fi-sol-si-la-li-ti-do.
Try that on your keyboard now, and see how it sounds.
You'll notice that the do-re-mi parts are starting to sound familiar. , Instead of just singing "do re mi," try singing them in little jumps: "do-mi-re-fa-mi-sol-do." Make up your own combinations, write them down, and sing them.
Then match them to the keyboard, and see if you were close. , It may be a song you already know well, or a children's song that's very familiar.
Only this time, instead of singing, for example, "Mary had a little lamb," sing "mi-re-do-re-mi-mi-miiiiiiiii." When you develop the ability to do this, you can learn the solfège words to any song, anywhere you might be, and then when you get back to your keyboard, play them back.
The more you do this, the better you'll get. , Each of these brains has a type of memory. , These are sounds like pianos, strings, flute, or new and unusual sounds that you can create yourself. , This section might be called "rhythms" on some keyboards, or "styles" on others.
The keyboard may include drum kits, bass guitars, pianos and other combinations using preset patterns.
It's like a backing band you control with your left hand, and with your right hand, you play the melody. , For instance, if you played a left hand bass guitar part, you could record that, save it, and later play accompaniment with that.
You could then play something entirely new, like a piano or synthesizer melody, to fit together with what you've originally recorded. , Consider the following factors. , It's big, it's heavy, and it's loud.
And you can't plug in headphones to your piano to practice at 2 in the morning! , A digital piano is comparable to a piano, but remember, the process by which a digital piano is sampled from a real piano causes a small loss in sound quality. , Next time you're near a piano, press down on the lowest note.
Then press down on the highest note.
Feel the difference? It's heavy and firm on the lower end, and light and easy on the higher end.
Now try the same thing on most keyboards.
Unless they're made to emulate a piano keyboard, the keys on a synthesizer or workstation all feel the same.
The "action," as it's called, is very light and fast, and much easier on the hands to play for long hours.
Many keyboard players do not need the full range of the piano.
The notes you're playing can be moved up and down the keyboard electronically.
For example, the note that is currently at middle C—C3, can become C4, or C1, or any other octave at the touch of a button. , It's also more practical if you are playing in a band.
Rhythm guitarist late for band practice? The keyboard player can call up a guitar sound patch or take the rhythm guitarist's role in the band by playing chords in the background with a piano patch. , they are coming into wide usage. , Whether you want to be a concert pianist or the keyboard whiz in a rock band, the basics are the same. , The instrument has many names and variations that all use the same interface.
Let’s take a non-comprehensive look at the history of the keyboard.
Organ.
This would be among the earliest keyboard instruments with some of the earliest being played with one hand while the other hand operated the bellows.
Harpsichord.
These were some of the earliest keyboards, and made their sounds by plucking the string like a guitarist would do, only the plectrum was attached to the key.
The resulting sound had little dynamic range, but the dynamics were mainly achieved using stops which added or subtracted the number (choirs) of strings on the larger instruments.
When the harpsichord was played as usual, it wasn't too noticeable that the instrument wasn't capable of sustaining any note for long.
Piano.
This refined the process of making sounds, using a hard-felt hammer rather than a pick.
The hammer was activated by the keyboard, and the pianist was given control of full range of dynamics, from very soft to very loud.
Electric Piano.
While a piano sounds incredibly rich and beautiful, it’s really hard to carry around to a gig.
When musicians started plugging in back in the 50s, they wanted something at least as portable as a drum kit.
The electric piano (and organ) were born.
Synthesizer.
After 300 years of harpsichords and pianos, musicians were very familiar and comfortable with the layout of the keyboard.
When electronic sound synthesizers came along, it made sense to use the same key layout, but there was a subtle shift in terminology.
Until then, people who played the keyboard were generally called “pianists” or “organists.” However, for an instrument that has a keyboard like a piano, but can sound like anything from a symphony orchestra to singing kittens, the word “pianist” just didn’t fit any longer, and the keyboard player was born. , It’s time to practice. , Play in a band! , Learn to play a song you all love. , When you're done, learn another song.
Don't stop until Kanye is your opening act!. -
Step 2: Notice there are 2 different kinds of keys: Black keys
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Step 3: and white keys.
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Step 4: Look at the keyboard again.
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Step 5: Find the next C up on the keyboard.
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Step 6: Find the C closest to the middle of the keyboard.
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Step 7: Play a song.
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Step 8: Learn keyboard your way.
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Step 9: Get some sheet music.
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Step 10: Train your ears.
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Step 11: Learn the art of solfège.
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Step 12: Try it.
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Step 13: Practice intervals.
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Step 14: When this starts to feel comfortable
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Step 15: try it with a simple song.
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Step 16: Think of the keyboard as having 3 kinds of "brains."
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Step 17: The first type of brain is called a sound brain
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Step 18: or more commonly known as a tone.
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Step 19: The 2nd type is known as the "rhythm brain."
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Step 20: The 3rd kind of brain is where all your musical creations can be recorded.
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Step 21: Decide between keyboards versus a regular piano.
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Step 22: A piano has 88 keys.
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Step 23: Classical music sounds far better played on a piano than a keyboard.
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Step 24: The digital keyboard is easier to play.
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Step 25: The digital keyboard is a very versatile instrument.
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Step 26: Ultimately
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Step 27: although keyboards may never make the world of classical music
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Step 28: in the world of popular music (jazz
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Step 29: reggae
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Step 30: Get familiar with your instrument.
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Step 31: Learn the terminology.
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Step 32: Now you know.
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Step 33: Once you've learned the basics
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Step 34: try taking it up a notch.
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Step 35: Get a couple of friends who can play drums
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Step 36: guitar
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Step 37: and bass.
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Step 38: Work through the song until it sounds the way you like it.
Detailed Guide
Whether you’re playing an iPad recreation of a vintage synth, a monster digital workstation keyboard, or a full-fledged concert grand piano, they all have exactly the same key layout, and may differ only in the number of keys. , It may look confusing at first but here are a couple things that will make it easier.
There are only 12 basic notes.
Every set of 12 notes is the same as every other set of 12 notes, only higher in pitch, or lower in pitch.
Every single white key is part of the C Major scale.
Every single black key is either called a “sharp” (#) or a “flat”(b). , Notice the pattern, starting from the C on the left side of the picture.
It has a tab pointing to the right.
The next note, D, has little tabs on each side, and the next note, E, has a tab to the left.
Notice the pattern of 2 white keys bracketing 2 black keys and a white key in the middle.
Notice the next group up has the same type of grouping, only with 3 black keys and 2 white keys in the middle, between the notes F and B. , Notice that the same pattern is there.
This is the same for every octave on the keyboard. , This is Middle C, or C3.
The C notes above it are C4, C5, C6, etc.
The C notes below it are known as C2, C1, C0. , Yes, that’s right.
It’s that easy! Start on C3, imagine yourself walking normally, and for every step you imagine, play the next white key up, until you reach C4—then stop.
Okay, it’s not much of a song, but all the basics were there—playing specific notes in a specific order for a specific amount of time.
This is what you played looks like on sheet music:
Play it again.
Just like before, imagine yourself walking, and for each step, play the next note up the keyboard.
This time, look at each note, reading from left to right, before you play it on the keyboard.
Now you're not only playing a song, you're reading music! , There are a couple basic ways to learn how to play the keyboard or piano.
Learn to read music.
You can teach yourself this invaluable skill, you can take lessons, or you can do both.
It's a great skill to learn, and it's a skill you can take with you should you wish to learn to sing, play the bassoon, the guitar, or the saxophone.
Learn by ear.
In some ways, this is easier.
You just listen to a song, and then figure out which keys on the keyboard make the same notes.
It's hard at first, but with a little ear training it gets easier.
Plus, you don't have to be bothered with learning what all those little black dots mean. , Go to your local music store, and explain to them that you are just learning to play the keyboard, what style of music you want to play, and if they can recommend a good book for beginners.
They will be able to recommend the right method for your style of learning.
They might also recommend a piano teacher.
If you want to become a skilled player, take their advice.
When first positioning your fingers, be aware that some sheet music has little numbers to help guide you.
These numbers represent your finger placement for the notes on the score.
These correspond to: 1=thumb, 2=index finger, 3=middle finger, 4=ring finger, and 5=little finger. , No method of learning is instant, and learning by ear is no different.
Remembering the sound of a song and finding which notes on the keyboard to press is a skill that takes some practice to develop.
The good news is that every great improviser in the world knows how to do it, so it's a skill that will never be wasted.
Here is how you can start. , It's pronounced "soul-fezh," and it means sight singing.
You already know the basics, if you know how to sing "do re mi." The notes of the basic solfège scale are as follows: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.
In the key of C (the white keys), this corresponds to C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. , On your keyboard, play the C scale we covered above.
For each note you play, sing the next note in the solfège scale.
Don't worry if your singing won't get you on American Idol.
The idea is to connect the sounds with the notes.
But what about the black notes? Here is the scale, including the black notes in italics: do-di-re-ri-mi-fa-fi-sol-si-la-li-ti-do.
Try that on your keyboard now, and see how it sounds.
You'll notice that the do-re-mi parts are starting to sound familiar. , Instead of just singing "do re mi," try singing them in little jumps: "do-mi-re-fa-mi-sol-do." Make up your own combinations, write them down, and sing them.
Then match them to the keyboard, and see if you were close. , It may be a song you already know well, or a children's song that's very familiar.
Only this time, instead of singing, for example, "Mary had a little lamb," sing "mi-re-do-re-mi-mi-miiiiiiiii." When you develop the ability to do this, you can learn the solfège words to any song, anywhere you might be, and then when you get back to your keyboard, play them back.
The more you do this, the better you'll get. , Each of these brains has a type of memory. , These are sounds like pianos, strings, flute, or new and unusual sounds that you can create yourself. , This section might be called "rhythms" on some keyboards, or "styles" on others.
The keyboard may include drum kits, bass guitars, pianos and other combinations using preset patterns.
It's like a backing band you control with your left hand, and with your right hand, you play the melody. , For instance, if you played a left hand bass guitar part, you could record that, save it, and later play accompaniment with that.
You could then play something entirely new, like a piano or synthesizer melody, to fit together with what you've originally recorded. , Consider the following factors. , It's big, it's heavy, and it's loud.
And you can't plug in headphones to your piano to practice at 2 in the morning! , A digital piano is comparable to a piano, but remember, the process by which a digital piano is sampled from a real piano causes a small loss in sound quality. , Next time you're near a piano, press down on the lowest note.
Then press down on the highest note.
Feel the difference? It's heavy and firm on the lower end, and light and easy on the higher end.
Now try the same thing on most keyboards.
Unless they're made to emulate a piano keyboard, the keys on a synthesizer or workstation all feel the same.
The "action," as it's called, is very light and fast, and much easier on the hands to play for long hours.
Many keyboard players do not need the full range of the piano.
The notes you're playing can be moved up and down the keyboard electronically.
For example, the note that is currently at middle C—C3, can become C4, or C1, or any other octave at the touch of a button. , It's also more practical if you are playing in a band.
Rhythm guitarist late for band practice? The keyboard player can call up a guitar sound patch or take the rhythm guitarist's role in the band by playing chords in the background with a piano patch. , they are coming into wide usage. , Whether you want to be a concert pianist or the keyboard whiz in a rock band, the basics are the same. , The instrument has many names and variations that all use the same interface.
Let’s take a non-comprehensive look at the history of the keyboard.
Organ.
This would be among the earliest keyboard instruments with some of the earliest being played with one hand while the other hand operated the bellows.
Harpsichord.
These were some of the earliest keyboards, and made their sounds by plucking the string like a guitarist would do, only the plectrum was attached to the key.
The resulting sound had little dynamic range, but the dynamics were mainly achieved using stops which added or subtracted the number (choirs) of strings on the larger instruments.
When the harpsichord was played as usual, it wasn't too noticeable that the instrument wasn't capable of sustaining any note for long.
Piano.
This refined the process of making sounds, using a hard-felt hammer rather than a pick.
The hammer was activated by the keyboard, and the pianist was given control of full range of dynamics, from very soft to very loud.
Electric Piano.
While a piano sounds incredibly rich and beautiful, it’s really hard to carry around to a gig.
When musicians started plugging in back in the 50s, they wanted something at least as portable as a drum kit.
The electric piano (and organ) were born.
Synthesizer.
After 300 years of harpsichords and pianos, musicians were very familiar and comfortable with the layout of the keyboard.
When electronic sound synthesizers came along, it made sense to use the same key layout, but there was a subtle shift in terminology.
Until then, people who played the keyboard were generally called “pianists” or “organists.” However, for an instrument that has a keyboard like a piano, but can sound like anything from a symphony orchestra to singing kittens, the word “pianist” just didn’t fit any longer, and the keyboard player was born. , It’s time to practice. , Play in a band! , Learn to play a song you all love. , When you're done, learn another song.
Don't stop until Kanye is your opening act!.
About the Author
Kathleen Butler
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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