Note names and octaves
Lesson 2 of 14 · Beginner · A to G, and what the number in "C4" means.
Seven letters
The white keys are named with the first seven letters of the alphabet: A B C D E F G. After G it starts again at A.
Starting from C, they go C D E F G A B, then C again.
Finding the other letters
Use the black keys as landmarks. D sits between the two black keys, and E is just right of them.
F is just left of a group of three. G and A sit between those three, and B is just right of them.
Octave numbers
Every letter shows up several times, so each note also gets a number: the octave it's in. Each octave starts on C.
Middle C is C4. The D just above it is D4. The B just below it is in the octave underneath: B3.
Low and high
The lowest key is A0 and the highest is C8. The lower the number, the further left and the lower the sound.
So G2 is well left of middle C, and G5 is to its right.
Practice
Find each letter. Any octave counts.
Now the number matters too. Start from middle C (C4) and count.
One last question.
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