Keyboard Basics and Posture Guide

Posture

• Good posture is crucial for playing the keyboard.
• When sitting, position the chair to face the keyboard squarely.
• Keep a straight back, relaxed shoulders.
• Feet should be flat on the floor, with elbows slightly higher than the keyboard.
• Knees should be bent slightly apart at about hip distance when standing.

Right Hand and Left Hand

• Fingers are numbered 1-5 (thumb as 1).
• Keep fingers curved and knuckles rounded while playing.
• Rounded hand position improves finger movement flexibility.

The Keyboard

• The keyboard consists of black and white keys.
• Black keys are grouped in sets of two or three.
• The white keys are named using the first seven letters of the alphabet (A,B,C,D,E,F,G).
• C is to the left of a group of two black keys, and F is to the left of a group of three black keys.
• A full-size keyboard includes 88 keys (52 white and 36 black).
• The notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G repeat in order from low to high.
• Middle C is located near the center of the keyboard.

Reading Music

• Music is written using symbols called notes
• Each note has a specific rhythmic value
• The quarter note represents one beat.
• Notes are placed on a staff (five horizontal lines and four spaces).
• The higher the note on the staff, the higher the sound
• Ledger lines are used when notes are too high or low to fit on the staff.
• A clef indicates where the notes should be played on the keyboard.
• Treble clef is used for the right hand, and the bass clef for the left.

Rhythm

• Bar lines are used to organize notes into measures.
• The time signature indicates the number of beats per measure.
• The top number of the time signature indicates the number of beats per measure.
• The bottom number of the time signature indicates which note represents one beat.

Playing and Review

• Use correct finger numbers and play slowly initially.
• Practice moving from one note to the next, repeating notes and skips.
• When playing, use your right hand to play the melody initially.
• The time signatures and rhythmic values of notes are important to understand what speed the music should be played.
• Review the types of notes and their corresponding rhythmic values.