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Piano notes
Tap any key of an 88-key piano to see its name, its octave, its number and how high it sounds.
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The notes on the keyboard
The white keys are named with seven letters, C D E F G A B, repeated from the bottom of the keyboard to the top. The black keys are the sharps and flats in between: the one between C and D is C♯ or D♭. Black keys come in groups of two and three; C is the white key just to the left of each group of two.
From E to F and from B to C there is no black key: those pairs of white keys are a half step apart. All the other neighboring white keys are a whole step apart.
Octaves and middle C
A standard piano has 88 keys, 52 white and 36 black, from A0 to C8. The number after the letter is the octave in scientific pitch notation, and it goes up at every C: the B just below C4 is B3. Middle C, near the center of the keyboard, is C4 (MIDI note 60).
The 12 notes of an octave
| Letter name | Solfège (fixed do) | In words | Key | MIDI (octave 4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Do | C | White | 60 |
| C♯ / D♭ | Do♯ / Re♭ | C sharp / D flat | Black | 61 |
| D | Re | D | White | 62 |
| D♯ / E♭ | Re♯ / Mi♭ | D sharp / E flat | Black | 63 |
| E | Mi | E | White | 64 |
| F | Fa | F | White | 65 |
| F♯ / G♭ | Fa♯ / Sol♭ | F sharp / G flat | Black | 66 |
| G | Sol | G | White | 67 |
| G♯ / A♭ | Sol♯ / La♭ | G sharp / A flat | Black | 68 |
| A | La | A | White | 69 |
| A♯ / B♭ | La♯ / Si♭ | A sharp / B flat | Black | 70 |
| B | Si | B | White | 71 |
Frequently asked questions
How many keys does a piano have?
A standard piano has 88: 52 white and 36 black, from A0 to C8.
Which key is middle C?
The C closest to the middle of the keyboard: C4, the 40th key from the left on an 88-key piano.
Is C♯ the same as D♭?
On the piano they are the same key and the same sound. Which name is used depends on the key of the music: D major has C♯, A♭ major has D♭.