Seven names, over and over
Music uses only seven letter names: A B C D E F G. After G you go back to A, one octave higher, and the pattern repeats all the way up and down the keyboard.
On a piano, the white keys are these seven letters. Find any group of two black keys - the white key just to the left of them is always C.
- An octave is the distance from one letter to the next of the same name
- Two notes an octave apart sound like the same note, higher or lower
Walk the alphabet
Tap a notehead or a key. The stave, keyboard and fretboard all follow.
Key takeaways
- • Seven letters: A B C D E F G, then repeat
- • Same letter, higher octave = same note name
- • C is always left of a pair of black keys
Try it in the Toolbox
Test yourself
1 / 2
Which note comes straight after G?