Learn like a Concert Pianist

Question: How does one really remember to look at the key note on paper and find where it is on the piano? I want to be able to see the note and play it on the keyboard. It takes me forever to figure out where the key is. I had this problem when I was in high school, so it is not an age-related...

The grand staff (also called “great stave” in British English) is a pair of clefs connected by a brace and used in particular for keyboard music:

Most often, the upper staff has a treble clef, while the lower staff has a bass clef.

A common misconception is that the treble clef...

A half note (also called a minim in British English) is a note in traditional Western music notation that is notated with an open note head and a stem.

Here is a half note on a five-line staff:

When writing a half note (or any note with a stem), if it is below the middle line, the stem points...

Question: I was wondering if there is a trick to figuring out the melody line on a score. Is it always the top notes? What happens when it goes to the left hand? Is there something you are looking for that tells you, or do you have to listen for it? Thanks for your help.

– Barb (Peoria,...

Learning to read piano notes need not be drudgery! This article will introduce you to the basics of piano music notation.

The first thing you’ll notice when you open up any piano music is almost certainly the grand staff:

The grand staff is composed of two staves, each of them a standard...

Piano tablature notation is designed for simple music, and it’s easy to learn.

Piano tabs are written primarily using letters and numbers. Letters designate the keys to play (as opposed to the actual notes), while the numbers indicate beats as well as the octave.

Middle C is in the fourth...

This lesson will allow you to learn music notes by introducing you to music notation. In it, I’ll summarize the essentials of the system of notes and how you can read them.

Western music is written on a staff that consists of five lines:

Staff lines are counted from the bottom:

Notes can...

Question: I know the notes are E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, but how do I tell what the note is when it goes over or under the lines?

– Suvannah Nicole (Columbia, Tennessee, USA)

Albert’s reply: You’re referring to the notes that fit on the treble clef staff. The musical alphabet...

Question: Mr. Frantz,

I’m so glad I found your website. It is very professional and beautiful – obviously a lot of work and thought went into it. The video segments on the website are terrific. You have a comfortable presence in front of a camera and a very pleasant voice and...

A quarter note (also called a crotchet in British English) is a note in traditional Western music notation that is notated with a solid note head and a stem.

Here is a quarter note on a five-line staff:

When writing a quarter note (or any note with a stem), if it is below the middle line, the...

Question: I am having so much trouble reading the part where Schubert departs from the lovely, melodic scenario at the beginning and begins this dark left-hand rolling undertone. I cannot read those left-hand notes. Can you help?

– Kat (Huntsville, Alabama, USA)

Albert’s reply:...

Question: How do you play a note with both sharp and flat symbols in front of it?

– Richard (Singapore)

Albert’s reply: There shouldn’t be a note with both sharp and flat signs simultaneously – this is a contradiction in terms.

It is possible to have, say, a C-flat and...