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Piano keyboard layout, explained
A full size piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black. They are not 88 different notes. They are one pattern of twelve notes repeated seven times, plus a few extra at each end. The black keys come in groups of two and three, and those groups are what let you find any note without counting from the end.
Click any key to hear it. Your computer's A to K row works too.
How many keys does a piano have?
A full size acoustic piano has 88 keys, running from A0 at the bottom to C8 at the top. Digital keyboards commonly have 61 or 76, and both are perfectly fine for years of learning, because almost everything a beginner plays sits within two octaves of the middle. The number of keys matters far less than whether they are weighted, which affects how the instrument feels under your fingers.
Why are the black keys grouped in twos and threes?
It is a navigation aid rather than a musical rule. Twelve notes repeat over and over, and grouping the five black ones as a pair and a trio gives your eye and your hand a landmark. Without it every white key would look identical and you would have to count from the end of the keyboard every time. Find the pair of black keys and the white key immediately to their left is always C.
What are the white keys called?
From C they run C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then back to C an octave higher. Seven letters, and then it starts over. That is the whole system. The white key to the left of the group of three black keys is F, which is the second landmark worth memorising after C.
Does the pattern really repeat exactly?
Yes. Each octave is an identical copy of the one below it, just higher. A shape you learn in one octave works in all of them, which is why chords and scales are worth learning as shapes rather than as lists of letters. This is the single most encouraging fact about the piano for a beginner.
This page answers the question. Lesson 1: the keyboard map lets you find every note yourself on a playable keyboard, then test it with ten questions. It is free, and it starts the moment you open it.
Keep going
Read next
Middle C is the white key just left of any pair of black keys, nearest the centre. Here is Open → ♪ Black keys on the piano
The 36 black keys are the sharps and flats. What they are, why they come in twos and three Open → ♪ Piano finger numbers explained
Thumb is 1, little finger is 5, on both hands. What the numbers in sheet music mean and wh Open → ♪ Proper piano hand position
Curved fingers, level wrist, relaxed arm. How to sit and where to put your hands so nothin Open →
Put it into practice in the practice room, or start at the beginning with the five minute walkthrough.
Questions
Common questions
How many white and black keys are on a piano?
A full size piano has 52 white keys and 36 black keys, making 88 in total. A 61 key keyboard has 36 white and 25 black.
Do I need all 88 keys to learn?
No. A 61 key keyboard covers everything in this site and most beginner repertoire. Weighted keys matter more than the count, because they build the finger strength a real piano needs.
Which key is the lowest note on a piano?
A0, the bottom A. The highest is C8. Both are rarely used in beginner music.