Names of keys on piano / casio

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amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 12:51 pm

hi all , I dont know much about music so I was wondering if someone can help me

my son went to piano lessons before covid, the teacher taught him keys are abcdefgabcde...
now my son joined an online casio lessons since the piano hasnt worked out since covid

the teacher is calling the keys something else(to be exact CDEFGABCBAGFEDC)
I asked the teacher he replied the following

what he was taught looks like a double c major scale- I teach it this way- it really makes no difference, but for the purposes of my lessons, he should follow my sheet.

im just curious now- arent the keys always called the same thing?
can someone explain this to me?
thanks

amother

Brunette

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:13 pm

I’ll try to simplify this a lot. The keys are always the same notes. If you look at a keyboard/piano, you will see a pattern of 2 groups of black keys separated by white keys. There’s 2 black keys, separated by 1 white key, and then 3 black keys, separated by 1 white key in between. This pattern repeats. C is always the white key right before the first black key, the next white key is D, then E,F,G,A,B, and C again. What gets confusing is the black keys can “change names” sometimes, depending what key you start from. The key in between A and B can be “A sharp” or “B flat”. (Rarely, white keys can be called different things also, but for a beginner they really shouldn’t be teaching that way. )
Most beginners start with only the white keys, with a C major scale.

It sounds like the first teacher started from A (the key I’m the second group of black keys, between the 2nd and 3rd black keys) all the way to G, and then the pattern repeats A to G again.
It sounds like the second teacher is starting from C (the key to the left of the first group of black keys), all the way to B, and then he wants him to go backwards, back to C.

amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:21 pm

amother Brunette wrote:

I’ll try to simplify this a lot. The keys are always the same notes. If you look at a keyboard/piano, you will see a pattern of 2 groups of black keys separated by white keys. There’s 2 black keys, separated by 1 white key, and then 3 black keys, separated by 1 white key in between. This pattern repeats. C is always the white key right before the first black key, the next white key is D, then E,F,G,A,B, and C again. What gets confusing is the black keys can “change names” sometimes, depending what key you start from. The key in between A and B can be “A sharp” or “B flat”. (Rarely, white keys can be called different things also, but for a beginner they really shouldn’t be teaching that way. )
Most beginners start with only the white keys, with a C major scale.
It sounds like this teacher may be teaching a different scale that uses black keys.

so I understand the white and black are different and they are 2 then 3 etc..
but arent the white always called the same letters ??
thats what im confused about!!
isnt it CDEFG, then again abcdefg?

he is calling the keys different letters?

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

The keys are always the same letters. It doesn't vary between different teachers, countries, etc.

The C scale and the middle C key are the center and beginning of learning piano. So technically it is CDEFGAB.

amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:28 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

exactly!! this is my question
so look at my OP, I copy this new teachers notes! he has a different order for the notes!!

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:37 pm

amother OP wrote:

exactly!! this is my question
so look at my OP, I copy this new teachers notes! he has a different order for the notes!!

Okay I just reread your OP. He is still centering around the middle c.
For some reason he's teaching it by naming the notes up left to Right (starting from middle C) and then down Right to Left (starting from middle C)

That's not how I was taught, but who knows maybe it's another method.

The answer to your question though is: each keys is always called the same. no matter the teacher, no matter the class, no matter the country. He's just going in a different direction (right to left) I guess.

amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:42 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

no his order is CDEFGABCBAGFEDC

look at the bolded

imasinger

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:48 pm

He is showing the notes going in one direction, then the other.

Starting on C, left to right:

CDEFGABC

Then going back down, right to left

(C) BAGFEDC

amother

PlumPink

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:49 pm

amother OP wrote:

no his order is CDEFGABCBAGFEDC

look at the bolded

It sounds like he was going from middle c up to the next c and then coming back down (to the left) to middle c. This is called c scale.

amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:50 pm

imasinger wrote:

He is showing the notes going in one direction, then the other.

Starting on C, left to right:

CDEFGABC

Then going back down, right to left

(C) BAGFEDC

that makes sense for a sec
but then why did he write it on one line
and instructions are to put masking tape on the notes ?!

amother

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 1:51 pm

amother PlumPink wrote:

It sounds like he was going from middle c up to the next c and then coming back down (to the left) to middle c. This is called c scale.

sounds like this actually
im so confused why he will do this!!

doesnt look clear to a begginer!!

anyway I really need to thank you ladies , helped me so much

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 2:16 pm

Oooooh ok now I get it.

This is 100% the correct way to do a scale. Sometimes you go up two octaves with a scale exercise.... He is going up one octave and then coming back down the same octave.

I agree the way that he/you explained it was confusing.

Glad it makes sense now. I wonder how much of this is related to the online aspect / not in person 😅

Choirmistress

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 3:47 pm

Dear OP:
Sounds as though your child's teacher is trying to do what Julie Andrews' character did in "The Sound of Music": Teach the notes by name by using "sound-alike" syllables, then progressing by running them through an entire octave, first up then down: "Doh re mi fa so la ti do, do ti la so fa mi re doh." It doesn't matter whether your teacher calls them doh re mi or C D E. The notes should still be simple enough for your child until the teacher introduces flats and sharps. And the previous responder is right that one piece of masking tape on the middle C should suffice. Unless you want to mark all the Cs. (Really not necessary until the child learns multiple scales and octaves.)

imasinger

Tue, Nov 29 2022, 7:43 pm

I teach kids that on a real piano, the middle C is the C you find closest to the letters of the manufacturer's name. On a keyboard, it's usually just to the left of the panel in the middle that lights up.

Masking tape isn't needed.

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