| Piano tab notation will help you learn melodies without | | | | the following notes until you come to the next c you |
| knowing sheet music. In this piano lesson you will learn | | | | have played eight notes. This c note is to the left of |
| to read easy piano tabs. You will also learn to play | | | | the next two black keys one octave higher. |
| Happy Birthday To You! | | | | The notes after middle c are d e f g a b and then |
| If you do not know how to read piano sheet music I | | | | comes c again. When you play these notes from c to |
| suggest that you try to learn it. If you start with very | | | | the next c you have played a c-major scale. The next |
| easy melodies with just a few notes you will not get | | | | c is sometimes called c5 as it is in the next octave |
| too frustrated. Learn the names of the keys of your | | | | which is the fifth octave of a piano keyboard. The c in |
| piano. Also, learn the names of the notes as they | | | | the octave to the left of middle c is called c3. |
| appear on an easy music sheet, focusing on just a | | | | Now we will take a closer look at the piano tablature |
| few at a time. | | | | we will use in the song Happy Birthday To You. |
| To read sheet music well you have to have the | | | | The rules |
| patience and devote time to practicing. This practice | | | | In this article we will use a simplified version of the |
| time will pay off as you will have an immense amount | | | | piano tabs you will find on the Internet. Here are the |
| of sheet music waiting to be played. Until you have | | | | rules: |
| mastered the art of playing sheet music you can use | | | | 1. Lowercase letters show the white keys. That is, c d |
| piano tabs to help you play melodies. | | | | e f g a b. |
| With the help of piano tablature you can easily learn | | | | 2. Uppercase letters show the black keys. The note C |
| melodies, chords and other music on your piano. Tabs | | | | means that you shall play the black key to the right of |
| cannot replace sheet music but you can notate much | | | | c. This note is written as c# in traditional sheet music |
| musical information even with this type of notation. | | | | language. |
| What is piano tablature? | | | | 3. A number after a note name shows in which |
| Piano tab notation is an established system for reading | | | | octave to play the note. The note c4 means middle c. |
| and writing music. Actually there are several systems, | | | | The following notes to play will not have a number until |
| some with numbers and others with letters but we will | | | | you change octave. |
| use a simplified form of the most common system on | | | | Happy Birthday To You |
| the net. | | | | Now it is time for you to read the piano tabs to Happy |
| Sheet music notation shows the actual notes to play | | | | Birthday To You! I will write down the lyrics, one line at |
| but not how to play them on your piano. This task you | | | | a time with the corresponding piano tabs below. It is |
| have to perform yourself. Piano tablature on the other | | | | written in the key of F-major. |
| hand is a way of showing which keys to play on your | | | | The chords to play if someone wants to accompany |
| piano. When you have learned the system you will find | | | | you are written in brackets before the appropriate |
| it easy to play melodies. But, first you have to learn the | | | | syllable. If you already know how to play chords with |
| note names. | | | | your left hand you can try to play them yourself as |
| The note names | | | | you play the melody with your right hand. |
| We will use the note names on the piano as the basis | | | | Happy (F)Birthday to (C7)you, happy birthday to |
| for the notation. You will have to learn the names of | | | | (F)youc4 c d c f e c c d c g f |
| the notes on the white keys of your piano. The first | | | | The number 4 after the first c shows that you are to |
| note we will learn is the middle c. It is easy to | | | | play the notes in the fourth octave until you find a new |
| understand that the middle c is at the middle of the | | | | octave indication. |
| piano but exactly where? | | | | Happy (F)birthday, dear (Bb)"Liza"c c c5 a4 f e d |
| You have probably noticed that the black keys on | | | | (Bb)Happy (F)birthday (C7)to (F)you |
| your piano or keyboard are organized in groups. You | | | | A A a f g f |
| will find groups with two and with three black keys all | | | | Remember, uppercase A is the black note to the right |
| over the keyboard. | | | | of a. |
| If you take a look at the two black keys at the middle | | | | Remember, the note A is the black key to the right of |
| of your piano you will find middle c immediately to the | | | | a. |
| left of these black keys. This middle c is sometimes | | | | I suggest that you memorize the melody one line at a |
| called c4. The number 4 shows that it is the c in the | | | | time so you do not have to rely on the tab notation. |
| fourth octave. | | | | These piano tabs are an introduction to the little more |
| What is an octave? | | | | advanced tablature system on the Internet. |
| Octave means eight and if you play the note c and | | | | |