Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Melissa McDermott. Melissa McDermott is a Musician and accomplished Social Media Manager at coBranding Studio based in New York City. She has over seven years of experience teaching piano and music theory, she currently works as a Piano Instructor at O DiBella Music Inc. Additionally, she specializes in creating meaningful, informative, and quality social media content for health and wellness brands and musicians. Melissa received her B.A. in popular music studies from William Paterson University.
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Middle-C or C4 is very important in understanding music theory and playing almost any instrument. But how can we find middle-C on the keyboard of a piano (or almost any kind of musical keyboard like E-Pianos and Synthesizers)? This article will guide you through.
Steps
Look at the black colored keys of the keyboard. You'll find they're organized in groups of twos and threes. That is, two black keys with one white key in between them, then, going right, two adjacent white keys, then three black keys with one white key between each one and the next, then again, two adjacent white keys, and the pattern repeats again.
Find the group of five black keys right in the middle of the keyboard (or at least, the group that is almost in the middle for smaller keyboards).[1]- The five keys must be ordered as two keys group then three keys group, not the other way around.
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Find the group of two black keys in the group you located in the previous step.[2]
Middle-C will be the white key immediately below (to the left of) the first black key of the two keys you found in the previous step.[3]
Find out the number of keys you keyboard has in total (counting both black and white keys).- Usually, manufacturers create keyboards with standard keys count starting at 88 keys (the grand piano has 88 keys), 76 keys, 61 keys, 49 keys, 24 keys and finally, sometimes even 12 keys[4]
According to the number of keys in your piano, count the following number of white keys going from the left-most side of the piano in the right direction:[5]- 88 Keys: 23 keys (Middle-C is the 24th white key)
- You can also find the group of five black keys easier as the fourth group of 5 black keys, then use the method above.
- 76 Keys: 19 keys (Middle-C is the 20th white key)
- The third group of 5 black keys (there usually is a group of three black keys at the left side at first, don't count those)
- 61 Keys: 14 keys (Middle-C is the 15th white key)
- The third group of five black keys.
- 49 Keys: 14 keys (Middle-C is the 15th white key)
- The third group of five black keys.
- 24 Keys, 25 Keys: 7 keys (Middle-C is the 8th white key)
- Second group of 5 black keys
- Other non standard sizes: use the standard method mentioned earlier in this article
- 88 Keys: 23 keys (Middle-C is the 24th white key)
Video
Community Q&A
- QuestionI have 85 keys on my piano. Where is Middle C?
Hale y MailCommunity AnswerCounting left to right, it's the 24th white key. Pianos with 85 keys are older than pianos with 88 keys and miss three keys on the right end of the piano (Bb7, B7, C8). - QuestionWhere is middle C on a music staff?
IncredibleGuinevereCommunity AnswerMIddle C is the note below the D under the staff for treble clef. The note has a line going through it. - QuestionWhere is "middle C"?
Community AnswerC can be found immediately to the right of the groupings of two black keys. If you place your fingers at either end of the keyboard and work your way, one at a time, to the middle, your fingers will meet at F; the next-lowest C is middle C.
Tips
- It is better to use the standard method. The counting method is just mentioned as a last resort alternative for those who just want to find Middle-C.Thanks
- Look for the company's name on the piano. It should be right above the keys. Middle C should be right below the first letter of the company's name, or at least close to it.Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about musical notes, check out our in-depth interview with Melissa McDermott.
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