Have you heard Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata? It is one of the best piano pieces you will ever listen to.
Every piano lover dreams of mastering such beautiful piano pieces. Can a beginner play them? Why not! You must have heard, “A master was once a beginner.” With that saying, someone who has just started learning piano, can eventually master the skill.
As a beginner, memorizing the 88 piano keys is no less than a roller coaster ride. Learning technique varies from person to person. Though, you can go through some piano labeled theories. This is the best way to remember piano notes as well.
Once you learn how to ride a bicycle, you don’t recall it every time. It becomes habitual. Similarly, no one can stop you from playing your heart out, once you by heart piano notes. Yes, it is that easy. But before we move ahead, let’s revise the basic piano theory.
Basic Piano Theory You Need to Know
Do you remember how your teacher used to teach Alphabet like A for apple? Well, this is what we are going to apply in remembering piano notes.
Though it is a bit difficult to memorize the 88 keys, you can effortlessly remember the piano notes. There are 12 different notes out of which, 7 notes are on white keys and 5 are on black keys.
Musical notes are assigned with a series of alphabets. So, you don’t have to sit and memorize them.
The piano notes start from C to G letter. For example, considering the C Major scale, it goes – C D E F G A B C. These are the 7 notes that form a Scale. But I said 12 notes right? So, all 12 notes include sharps and flats.
Now, I’ll tell you the easiest way to remember piano notes:
So, shall we remind ourselves of school days?
Look at this fancy image and repeat after me.
C for Cat, D for Dog, E for Elephant, F for Fan, G for Guitar, A for Apple, and B for Ball.
Consider the 2 black keys as a Train and 3 black keys as a Bus.
Isn’t it fun?
Now, take the first letter of each word and it will form the 12 notes. This way, you can remember the notes in no time.
A Clean Way to Remember Piano Notes
Memorizing piano notes isn’t a difficult task. I have come up with a few ways that will help you remember piano notes.
1. Notes and Locations
As you can see in the above picture, you can easily play the notes in a straightforward way. But when you want to play specific chords like Minor chords using the notes, you need to formulate them in your own way. You can also create your versions considering the above image.
For instance, if you want to play Am chord, you play the A, C, and E notes. So, how can you make it easier? Form a short phrase – A Cat and Elephant.
Keep it simple. Create your own ways to learn note’s location on the piano.
2. Train Your Hands
Piano notes are meant to play with the proper fingering technique. Let me make it easier for you.
The technique is created to make playing easier. Practice scales in ascending and descending order. Get familiar with notes. Once the fingers know the placement, they automatically direct you to play the right note.
3. Train Your Ears
Apply the technique of playing piano by ear. By that means, don’t just look at the image and play the notes, but identify what note you are playing. Play a note and recognize. Carefully listen to how a note sounds. This is another skill you can acquire by training your ears.
You can play the notes without looking at them if you train your ears well. This is again an excellent source for remembering piano notes.
4.Piano Exercises
No one loves monotonous piano exercises. However, they are one of the essential steps for remembering notes. Regular practice helps to keep a balance and connect with the notes. Thus, you don’t actually need to remember the piano notes.
The above additional factors are another ways through which you can remember the notes in a simpler way.
Conclusion
Learning and remembering piano notes can take time for a new learner. But the method I have shared is the easiest way you can come across.
Labeling piano keys is a good way to remember piano notes. Try different methods of labeling to make it more interesting. However, I would recommend not relying upon them to remember the notes. Instead, try recalling the notes. Focus on ear training.
Apart from that, set aside a little time daily for practice.
Last but not the least, believe in yourself that you can remember piano notes. This will boost your confidence, and you can play them without looking at the keys.
