Musical Note Names – Staff & Types To Know!

One of the first things you learn when playing the piano is the musical note names. These are important because they are an essential part of playing and music theory. Without them, you won’t be able to string the notes together to make incredible music. 

It is essential to have a firm grip on the names of the notes, their different variations, and how they look on a musical staff. 

So, if you’re a beginner or just new to piano music, you’re in the right place. I’ll get into all those facts to help you understand where the notes are, how to find them, and how you can easily remember them along your piano journey. 

Let’s get into it! 

The 7 Musical Note Names

The 7 musical note names on the piano are: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. You may notice this is the first seven letters of the alphabet, and that’s because the piano is a pattern. After this, there are no additional letters.

The pattern simply starts over again, and the reason for this is that a new octave has started on the piano. 

This is not just confined to the piano; it is the standard for nearly all musical instruments. You will find these notes sprinkled from one musical composition to another.

Locating White Key Note Names At The Piano

Now that you know the 7 musical note names, it’s important to know how to find them on the keyboard. Whether you play the piano or not, this is always a good place to start. 

Pianos are unique in that you can see the spacing of the half and whole steps (more on this in a bit), so it’s easy to see the relationship between the keys and distance.

Have a look at the diagram below:

Right away, the 7 note names are all next to each other on the white keys. For this example, we started with C and then moved up to D, E, F, and G. You may notice now that we’ve followed this with the letters A and B. While that may seem out of order, it isn’t!

You see, the piano, like other instruments, plays in a sequential pattern. This means that your seven music notes will continue to repeat in each octave of the instrument. There is no H, I, J, or K on the piano, only the seven notes. 

And you can start this pattern anywhere. For example, if you started with B, you’d follow that with C, D, E, F, and G and again be presented with adding A to restart the pattern.

The most effective way to figure out where to play the notes is to look at the pattern of the 2 and 3 black keys. This is essential at the piano because, with it, we’d have to learn what key was which. This pattern repeats across the entire piano. 

So, anytime you see a group of 2 black keys, there will be C right in front. The same goes for every pattern of 3 keys being F. Then, you follow the alphabet from there. 

I like to focus on two main keys: C and F. Look at the illustration below.

C is always located by the pattern of 2 black keys, while F is located by the pattern of 3 black keys. From there, you can split your keyboard into sections. FGAB, and CDE. It’s easier to learn this way, so whenever you have to play something, you can have two starting locations to choose from and then locate your inner notes. 

Understanding Music Symbols – Sharps, Flats, & Black Key Note Names

In addition to the white keys, the black keys also have note names. They share the same letter notes of the white keys, but depending on which direction you’re coming from, we’ll add a sharp or flat symbol to that note name. Take a look at the key names below:

As you can see, when sharping a note, the white key to the left of the note passes its name onto the black key and then adds the sharp symbol. For example, C-sharp is right next to C, D-sharp next to D, and so on. 

The same works for flat notes but in the opposite direction. The white key to the right of the black key will pass its name on to that key. So B flat is to the left of B, A flat is to the left of A, and so forth. 

You may also notice that the black keys can carry two different names; but actually be the same note. It all depends on your role in the note and which augmentation you are giving it. Will you sharp the white key (raising it by a half step), or are you flatting it(lowering it by a half step)? 

One unique area where sharps and flats may confuse a newer musician is on keys B, C, and E, F. There is no black key between those. So, when you decide to sharp or flat either one of those, they may go to a white key and never a black one. An example o this is F-flat, which is the equivalent of E. 

Finding The Musical Note Names On Staff

Musical notation is a huge part of piano playing and note identification. If you plan to read sheet music at any point in your journey, then understanding musical notation is essential.

Locating the notes visually on the staff is just as important as finding their locations on the keyboard. There are several clefs to choose from, but for this example, we’ll focus on the two standard ones that people use to read music; Treble clef and Bass clef.

Take a look at the breakdown of each of the staff and the illustrations to help you read them much more easily. 

Treble Clef

The treble staff is usually reserved for the right hand playing the piano, but the left hand can also play there. The treble clef symbol looks like this:

The treble clef is located on the lines and spaces as follows, but notice where the loop goes over the 2nd line. That line represents Treble G, an important note to know; we can call this a landmark. 

Line Notes

Starting from the bottom of the staff, the line notes will be as follows: E, G, B, D, F.

Each of those notes is a 3rd interval distance away from the other. So, at the piano, that would be every other key, or what musicians call a “skip.” 

There are many ways to remember those letters, but an easy one is to use it as an acronym for “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” The first letter of each word will form the line notes in order. 

The most important musical note to remember here is on the second line; Treble G.

Space Notes

Space notes work much the same. Starting with the bottom space, the order is F, A, C, E.

These are also a 3rd interval distance away or every other key on the keyboard. This one is easy to remember, too, as it simply spells “FACE.” 

Bass Staff

The Bass staff is reserved for the piano’s lower notes. The left hand takes care of much of these. However, the right hand can sometimes cross over into this clef area. The bass clef looks like this:

Notice how there are two dots, one at the top and one in the middle. Those locations are essential because the line between them represents Bass F, a vital landmark note. 

Line Notes

The same idea of 3rds applies to the line notes. Starting from the bottom line, the notes are G, B, D, F, and A. 

An easy way to remember this is to use “Good Boys Do Fine Always.” Of those five notes, the most important is the musical note located on the fourth line; Bass F. It’s one of the key landmark notes when you’re first learning how to play the piano.

Space Notes

With the previous logic in mind, let’s look at the Bass clef. Each note head below is on a space: ACEG.

For this one, you can use the phrase “All Cows Eat Grass” to help you remember.

Reading Ledger Lines

In addition to the lines and spaces, sometimes we have to play music notes that are higher on the piano and lower. 

But, when you look at the staff, there are only five lines and four spaces. In this case, you must expand on those and add additional lines and spaces beyond the musical note names on the staff. These are called ledger lines. 

Ledger lines add a 3rd interval distance away from the previous line. A good example of this, and perhaps the most popular ledger line in all of music, is middle C. 

Ledger lines can go between the treble and bass staff or above or below each. 

Look at the diagram below to see how the music note names change depending on where your ledger lines are located. 

This helpful diagram shows us that some ledger lines have a note head and others don’t. The line helps us measure the distance between the notes. So, you may find multiple ledger lines before an actual note head is shown.

For example, the last note in the Bass staff has two leger lines, with the note occurring on the second one. This means you’ll need to play up a 3rd from Middle C, which will be E.

Depending on which clef you are reading determines the name of the note. That’s why it’s crucial to know the music note names as individual staff first and then expand from there, especially when the hands play together. 

Note Value Names And Types

In addition to letter note names at the piano, there are also rhythmic value note names. These show us how many beats the notes are worth, regardless of your musical instrument.

The chart below breaks this all down:

Whole Note

As you can see, we start with the longest note, also called the whole note. Whole notes last four beats and are also referred to as Semibreve. It has a hollow head and no stem. It can also be dotted to increase its length. 

Half Note

After this, the normal half note, which does not have a dot, this one is worth two beats. It also has a stem. 

Quarter Note

Then comes the quarter note, the most used note in music that presents one beat. The head is filled in, and it has a stem. 

Eighth Notes And Sixteenth Notes

After this are the quicker notes; the eighth note is worth half a beat, and the sixteenth note is worth a quarter of a beat. Both notes have a stem featuring one flag, while the sixteenth note has two flags. 

Two eighth notes together equal one beat, and you’re likely to find them in pairs of two.

You’re more likely to experience sixteenth notes in complex works like piano sonatas and etudes. They are also common in fast musical scales.

Other Piano Note Durations

On the chart, you’ll find the 32nd and 64th notes. These aren’t something you’ll find in a ton of music, particularly at the intermediate levels. However, if you’re performing a piano concerto or something complex, you may see it. The 32nds and 64ths are typically reserved for glissando passages.

The Takeway

I hope you find this complete guide on musical notes helpful. We’ve broken down the note names, the variations with sharps and flats, and strategies to learn piano notes more effectively. We also got into locating the notes on the staff and identifying what those notes are beyond the musical staff (ledger lines).

Then, to top it all off, some breakdown of the note durations and much more. Knowing these basic principles is the first step in learning how to read sheet music and getting a better grip on music notation. Happy Practicing!