Skip to content
PianoGrid

Piano Keys Notes

Find any piano note, hear its sound, and learn the keyboard pattern.

The white keys repeat A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The black keys form groups of two and three. Start with middle C, or enter a note to find its key.

Piano keys guideNote chartPrintable labels

C4

Middle C

A starting point on the keyboard.

Use a note name and octave to find one exact key.

C3–C5

Choose by note name

Piano keys notes chart

Use this one-octave chart to learn the repeating pattern. C sits just before a group of two black keys. F sits just before a group of three.

Piano keys from C4 to C5, with white-key letters, black-key sharp and flat names, and middle C highlighted.
One octave from C4 to C5. Middle C is C4.

Black-key names in this octave:

  • C♯4/D♭4
  • D♯4/E♭4
  • F♯4/G♭4
  • G♯4/A♭4
  • A♯4/B♭4

View printable labelsBlank piano keyboard worksheetMatch notes to the staffC4–C5 piano key-name pack (A4, 3-page PDF)

Practice naming the keys with a printable blank keyboard.

How to read piano key names

White keys: seven letters, repeated

The white keys use the letters A through G. Starting on C, the sequence is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, then C again. The octave number tells you which version of a note to play.

Black keys: sharps and flats

A black key usually has two familiar names. The key between C and D is C-sharp (C♯) or D-flat (D♭). The five pairs are C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭ and A♯/B♭. There is no black key between E and F or between B and C. Sharps and flats can also name white keys.

Find middle C

This guide calls middle C C4. Find the C immediately to the left of a two-black-key group near the middle of your keyboard. Select C4 above to see and hear it.

Show middle C

88-key and 61-key keyboards

A standard 88-key piano runs from A0 to C8, with 52 white keys and 36 black keys. A common 61-key layout runs from C2 to C7, spanning five octaves. Check the endpoints of your own instrument; not every keyboard uses the same range.

Questions about piano keys notes

What are the notes on piano keys?

White keys repeat A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Black keys are commonly named with sharps or flats.

Why are there several C keys?

The note names repeat in each octave. C3, C4 and C5 are different pitches with the same letter name.

Is C♯ the same piano key as D♭?

Yes. On a piano, C♯ and D♭ name the same key. The spelling depends on the musical context.

Where can I get printable labels?

Open our labeled keyboard reference for printable learning resources.