How to Remember Piano Notes – 5 Great Methods

How to remember piano notes. It is one of the foundations of piano knowledge and one of the first things that you should look to master. The notes are the way to anchor yourself within the piano keyboard, so if you don’t know how to remember notes and keep getting lost then you will not have much of a chance of making progress.

In this guide, we’ve put together some top tips on how to remember the notes of a piano, with some tips that are great for children and some that are great for adults, too. We all need to grow this knowledge first whether we are 5 or 55.

How to Remember Piano Notes Easily – 5 Top Tips

Let’s dive into some methods. Below, we’ve shared five ways to remember piano notes easily. You might choose one of the methods that resonates with you, or a combination of many different methods.

Tip 1 – A to G not A to Z

Playing the piano would be incredibly difficult if there were 26 different notes! We have less than this, and the white notes run fro A to G, with the black notes in between being known as sharps and flats.

So, the first thing to remember is that for a musician, your alphabet needs to be reduced. At least for the purposes of remembering keys. The simple rule to remember is “A to G, not A to Z”. It’s easier to remember as G rhymes with Z.

A to G are read from left to right and run in sequence, all along the white notes of the piano. As you start to learn via our academy, you will see the layout of the keyboard and how these notes look (and feel).

Tip 2 – D for Doghouse

You’ll notice a pattern on the keyboard. All pianos and keyboards follow the same pattern, three black notes, then two, then three, and so on. Using your imagination here (using it a lot) you can think of the two black notes as the two walls to a doghouse. Inside, is the dog, and therefore the D note. D stands for dog. If it helps, you can also remember that C for cat is next to the doghouse.

Once you know where one of the notes is, you can work out the rest. This is just a way to anchor yourself on the piano. This means you’ll know whereabouts on the pattern you are at any time.

This is a childish method, but it works for adults, too. It doesn’t really matter how you remember, as long as you find a method that works for you. The video below uses some of these methods.

Tip 3 – Start with Stickers (But Not for Long)

Labeling your piano keys with stickers can have pros and cons. This guide discusses the benefits it has on how to remember piano notes.

These stickers can be picked up easily, or you can even make your own at home if you have the right type of printer. They are a good way to get started. However, if you want to truly know how to remember piano notes, you can’t always rely on stickers. You should eventually test yourself by playing on keyboards that aren’t labeled. This way, you make sure you aren’t relying on them too heavily to play the piano.

Tip 4 – Sharps and Flats

The sharps and flats are easy enough to remember without fancy rules. The only thing to remember is that a black note can be both the sharp to one note and the flat to another. To the left of a white note is a flat, for instance, to the left of the G is the G flat, which will be signified as Gb. To the right of the white note of the G is the G sharp, this is noted as G# when written down.

This piece of knowledge is the last thing to add on. Learning the white notes is the essential thing for beginners as it is easier to remember where you are on the keyboard this way. You can then easily work out where the sharp and flat notes are.

Tip 5 – Practice Every Day

Keeping the knowledge fresh in your brain is the best way to make sure it doesn’t filter out! You need to do regular practice, and this doesn’t even necessarily mean playing the piano. You can use our browser-based learning system to go through the notes to some of your favorite songs, learn a new melody and by repetition you will soak up the knowledge.

Even if you don’t have access to a piano, simply watching YouTube tutorials or using our interactive academy without a piano can help you to learn how the piano works. How to remember piano notes? Keep piano as a big part of your life and every day spend at least 10-15 minutes practicing and researching.

Conclusion

Knowing how to play the piano is made up of lots of little bits of foundational knowledge such as how to remember piano notes, how to play chords and more. One of the great things about piano is the fact that everyone has a slightly different approach, and we all have setbacks, too! Work out what kind of learner and what kind of pianist you are in order to grow your knowledge quickly.

FAQs

Should you write the notes on your keyboard?

Some people use this method. It’s easy to write the notes on your keyboard to keep you anchored. However, think about how much you are actually learning here. It’s fine to have an anchor, but you don’t want to rely too heavily on written notes.

How do you memorize piano keys without looking?

This is not easy. It is something that will come over time. You need to be able to sit in the same position the whole time, and gradually you will remember the position of the notes. The more you play, the better you will become.

Should you practice piano with eyes closed?

Eventually, once you can feel the way around the keys a little bit better, you may wish to practice with your eyes closed as a way to test yourself. This will improve your memory of the piano.

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