15Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

Listen to the full episode here

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUY THOSE CHEESY MUSIC ALPHABET STICKERS!!

You, as a Piano Parent Podcast listener, are too smart to fall for that retail trap! Helping your child learn the names of the piano keys is too easy and too essential for their piano proficiency to depend on stickers or any other external aid.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Piano Geography

Alphabet Flashcards

Episode Highlights:

Music uses the first seven letters of the alphabet: ABCDEFG

These seven letters go from left to right on the piano in a continuous loop

Piano keys on the left side of the piano produce low sounds, like a bullfrog

Keys to the right produce high sounds, like a butterfly (though I’ve never actually heard a butterfly)

Two black keys are a doghouse. The middle white key between two black keys is named D for dog.

Three black keys are a garage. The first two letters of the word garage are GA. These are the names of the two white keys in between the three black keys!

Use the Alphabet Flashcards to help your child practice finding specific piano keys quickly (Be sure to let them help YOU drill the piano key names too. Children learn so much when they teach concepts to others. Make sure to be a good student for your little teacher!)

The black keys derive their name from the white keys. Playing the black key to the right of D is called D-sharp (D♯). Playing the black key to the left of D is called D-flat (D♭)

Black keys have two names. D♯ (the black key to the right of the white key, D) can also be called E♭ (because it is the black key to the left of the white key, E)

Because there is no black key between B and C on the white keys, they can be called B♯ and C♭. E and F work the same way. This information might come in handy during your next Trivial Pursuit game.

Let me know how it’s going by posting a comment below or post a success video of our super piano kid on our Piano Parent Podcast Facebook page.