LESSON 2
Keyboard Size And Patterns
SAMPLE LESSON (complete as it appears within PMMO)
Sit before your keyboard and notice that it is made up of many white and black keys. Notice also, if it were not for the pattern created by the black keys, the white keys would all look the same. It would be nearly impossible to distinguish one white key from another by simply looking. (Illustration 1.)
Illustration 1.
Full Size Piano Keyboard as white keys only
Luckily, for us, the piano keyboard is a very organized pattern of black and white keys, all across the keyboard. This observation will rapidly enable you to learn the names of each key. (Illustration 2.) Do you see the pattern?
Illustration 2.
Full Size Piano Keyboard with black and white keys
Keyboard instruments come in a variety of sizes, and some have more individual keys than others. Although keyboards come in a variety of sizes, ALL keyboards display a built in visual pattern. (Illustration 3.)
Illustration 3.
Keyboard sizes and patterns
There are always TWO black keys, then THREE black keys, surrounded by SEVEN white keys. This basic pattern of TWELVE keys is found on ALL keyboard instruments. (Illustration 4.)
Illustration 4.
One basic pattern of 12 keys.
2 black + 3 black + 7 white = 12 black and white = ONE basic pattern of 12 keys.
This pattern of TWELVE keys is the basic unit of ALL keyboard
instruments.
The size of your particular keyboard determines how many times
the pattern is repeated.
To HEAR my 'sorta historical' version of how these twelve tones were discovered, listen to the following audio recording:
AUDIO - THE DISCOVERY OF MUSIC (9:19)
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
1. ALL keyboards display a built in visual pattern.
2. The pattern is seen in the way the black keys fall around
the white keys.
3. There are always TWO black keys, then THREE black keys,
surrounded by SEVEN white keys.
4. The pattern of TWELVE keys is the basic unit of ALL keyboard
instruments.
5. The size of your particular keyboard determines how many
times the pattern is repeated.
