| In this piano lesson you will learn to read easy | | | | then you have the next c. This c is subsequently called |
| keyboard tablature. Piano tab notation is easy to read | | | | c5 as it is in the fifth octave of a piano. On a smaller |
| even if you do not know how to read sheet music. | | | | type of keyboard with fewer keys you will still use c4 |
| You will also learn to play an easy piano version of Fur | | | | to show middle c. |
| Elise. | | | | The c note to the left of middle c is called c3. All notes |
| To know how to read and play piano sheet music is a | | | | to the left of two black keys are c notes in different |
| great asset. It is worth developing this skill as you have | | | | octaves. |
| a nearly unlimited amount of piano sheet music titles to | | | | The easy piano tabs we will use to play Fur Elise has |
| play. | | | | the following rules: |
| When you try to learn piano sheet music I suggest that | | | | 1. The white keys are indicated with lowercase letters. |
| you take time to learn just a few notes at a time. | | | | An example: c d e f g a b |
| Learn the placement of the notes on the sheet music | | | | 2. The black keys are shown by uppercase letters. |
| staff and also where to play them on your piano. | | | | For example, A D-major chord is written d F a. The |
| Meanwhile you can learn to read the easier piano tab | | | | uppercase letter F shows that the note is the black |
| notation. | | | | key to the right of f. |
| Piano tabs or keyboard tablature is an easy way to | | | | 3. The octave to play is showed with a number after |
| learn melodies and other types of piano music. We will | | | | the letter. The note c4 means, play middle c. The |
| use a common way to describe how you are to play | | | | following notes will not have a number until it is time to |
| the keys on your piano. | | | | change octave. Here is a C-major arpeggio: c4 e g c5 |
| Sheet music notation shows the notes to play but not | | | | It is time to play the first notes of Fur Elise. It is written |
| how to play them on your instrument. Tablature on the | | | | as an easy melody for your right hand:e5 D e D e b4 |
| other hand shows the keys to play on your piano. | | | | d5 c a4 c e a b e G b c5e4 e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c |
| To read the piano tabs you have to learn the note | | | | e a b e c5 b4 a |
| names of the white keys on your piano. First we will | | | | I suggest that you memorize the melody one line at a |
| take a look at the note c at the middle of the piano | | | | time. Now we will come to a new part of the melody. |
| keyboard. It is called middle c or sometimes c4. | | | | If it had been a pop song it would be called the bridge:b |
| The black keys on the keyboard are organized in | | | | c5 d e g4 f5 e d f4 e5 d c e4 d5 c b4 |
| groups consisting of two or three black keys. Middle c | | | | We finish by playing the first part again:e5 D e D e b4 |
| is immediately to the left of two black keys at the | | | | d5 c a4 c e a b e G b c5e4 e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c |
| middle of the keyboard. | | | | e a b e c5 b4 a |
| As we mentioned before middle c is sometimes called | | | | This is a simplified version of the first part of Fur Elise |
| c4 as it is in the fourth octave of a piano or a grand. | | | | with an easy form of the most common piano tabs on |
| Octave means eight and you have played eight notes | | | | the Internet. You can learn more about piano tab |
| if you start with c and play the white keys until you | | | | notation on Wikipedia. Search for keyboard tablature. |
| come to the next c. | | | | These piano tabs are an introduction to the little more |
| The following notes to the right of c is d e f g a b and | | | | advanced tablature system on the Internet. |