Understanding Piano Keys and Melodies

If you want to make simple songs on the piano, it’s important to know how the piano keys work together.

A typical piano has 88 keys. This includes:

• 52 White Keys: These keys are the natural notes. They represent the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
• 36 Black Keys: These keys are used for sharps and flats. They give you extra notes to create different sounds.

How the Keys Are Arranged

The keys are organized based on something called the chromatic scale. This scale has 12 different pitches, which are the basic sounds you can play.

Building a Scale

A major scale has 7 unique notes. The pattern for this scale is:

Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

For example, if you start on C, the C major scale looks like this:

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

When you play music, you mostly use these scales.

The space between two notes played one after another is called a half step, while jumping over one key to play the next note is called a whole step.

Making a Melody

To put together a melody, you can:

• Use both upward and downward scales.
• Repeat certain notes to create rhythm and emphasis.
• Simple songs usually have 2 to 4 notes in a row, while more complex melodies might include patterns and changes.

When you understand these basics, you can start making simple songs using easy chord progressions and scales. This is a great way for beginners to start exploring music!