How to Learn Piano Notes and Proper Finger Placement, with Sharps and Flats

Playing piano can be a hard skill to master, but with a few easy tips learning can be easier than ever!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Learn By Ear

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    Get Access to a tuned piano.
    • This is important for learning by ear, so that way you can play what you learn on other pianos without confusion.
    • If you don't have access to a tuned piano, then you can still do this step, although it will be harder transfer your skills onto another piano.
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    Place your right thumb on middle C.
    • Use an app or the internet to find out what middle C sounds like, than match it on your piano.
    • This is important for basic piano fingering.
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    Allow the rest of your fingers to fall where they feel comfortable.
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    Practice playing different notes with the fingers on your right hand.
    • It might be hard at first, but as you strengthen your fingers you will find it gets easier.
    • Your fingers will begin to memorize the placement in this position.
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    Move your thumb around, and repeat steps 3 and 4 with your right hand.
    • Get used to moving your hand- it's important to learning all of the notes!
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    Repeat Steps 2-5 with your left hand.
    • Place your Left thumb on the G below middle C (3 white notes below middle C).
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    To do black keys (sharps and flats) simply move your fingers to the black keys wherever they feel comfortable. Then repeat steps 4 and 5.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Learn by Sight

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    Have access to a piano.
    • This option is good if you're not sure your piano is in tune.
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    Print out a keyboard with the keys labeled (C, D, E, F, G, A, B,)
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    Place your thumb on the key that matches the C.
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    Match the rest of your fingers to a key.
    • Pointer finger goes on D.
    • Middle Finger Goes on E.
    • Ring Finger goes on F.
    • Pinky Goes on G.
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    Strengthen your fingers on these notes.
    • Practice skipping notes and spelling words.
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    Move your Fingers, keeping them in the same 5-finger note position.
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    To play black keys, move the correct finger onto the correct key.
    • The index finger plays the note between C and D.
    • The middle finger plays the note between D and E.
    • The ring finger plays the note between F and G.
    • The pinky finger plays the note between G and A.
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    Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the new notes.
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Warnings

  • While your muscles are strengthening, take 5-minute breaks every 20 minutes to avoid muscle fatigue.
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  • Do not press on the keys too hard, or you could cause permanent damage to your hands.
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  • Don't Give Up- Learning any Musical Instrument is a Long Process.
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References

  1. 15 Years of Personal Experience Playing the Piano.
  2. 5 years of Experience as a Piano Teacher.
  3. Touring High School Piano Company for 4 years.

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 27,439 times.
39 votes - 77%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: July 17, 2021
Views: 27,439
Categories: Learning Piano
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