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Q. There are many different keyboard labels and stickers on the market - what's so different about these?A. The big difference with Keynotes is that you can see them when you are playing. Many piano tutor books come with stickers of some kind, but they are all designed to stick on the wide lower part of the white keys. As soon as you put your hands in the correct position to play, you can't see them any more! Keynotes are applied to the top part of the white key so you can see what you're playing, while you're playing.
Learning to play piano is NOT like learning to type - on a computer keyboard you have two "home keys" with raised marks that you can find by touch alone - on a music keyboard you don't. With practice you will develop a "feel" for the keyboard and will know where your hands are without looking, but in the early stages of learning you will need a visual reference and reassurance that your fingers are where they need to be - Keynotes provide this. Labels that are covered by your hands aren't really much use - if you can only see them when you're not playing, you may as well look at a chart in a book.
The B and H versions of Keynotes also use upper-case letters for the note names, NOT lower case which can be confusing as a lower-case "b" looks very similar to the musical "flat" symbol.
Q. Which version do I need?
Q. Which version do I need?
A. Keynotes are available in three versions:
- the 'B' version, with the notes named C-D-E-F-G-A-B ; "standard" international notation, used all over the world. If you're not sure, then choose this one!
- the 'H' version, with the notes named C-D-E-F-G-A-H ; used in Germany, Scandinavia and other Northern European countries. The 'H' system is essentially the same as the 'B' system, except the note Bb (B-flat) is not used. Instead 'B' is used for Bb, and 'H' replaces 'B'. Confused? It's not surprising. Compare the two pictures below and it will hopefully be clearer. Generally, if you aren't already aware of the 'H' system (i.e. you don't live in one of the countries mentioned) then you almost certainly need either the 'B' or solfége version!
- the 'Do-Re-Mi' version - used in France, Spain, Italy and many other countries that use Solfége, and especially useful if you're learning to sing using the solfége system.
Q. How long will they last?
A. Keynotes are printed on a special hard-wearing translucent polyester material with a non-glare matt finish- it looks almost as if the keys themselves are printed, giving a neat appearance. This makes them ideal for teachers - they look professional and are long-lasting. I have had a set in daily use for many months and they look as good as they did when first applied, but most people find they only need to use them for a few weeks. The aim is to speed your learning of the keyboard layout, but without making you dependent on the labels.
Q. Do I need to label ALL the notes on my keyboard?
A. Not necessarily. Keynote labels are arranged on two sheets - a grand staff set, and an extension set.
If you are learning in a "traditional" way then you probably just need to fit the the 22-label grand staff set. Here's why...
The 22 Keynotes on the "grand-staff" sheet cover the 3 octave range in the centre of the keyboard. The grand-staff (or "great-staff") is the system of lines and spaces used to write keyboard music. This is made up of the treble staff for the right hand, and the bass staff for the left hand. Higher and lower notes are written above and below the staffs on small lines called ledger lines (see picture below). When you start to learn, though, you will be concentrating on the area around middle C, which is the note between the staffs. By the time you have progressed enough to be playing music with notes on ledger lines, you will be very familiar with the names and positions of the notes, and will have realised that the pattern of the keys repeats in octaves. By this time you will not be relying on the labels any more, so you really don't need to label every key! Many teachers don't even use the whole grand staff set - for example, some just use the "c" notes to act as "signposts" for the first few lessons.
For various reasons, though, you may want to have all the keys labelled, so Keynotes come with an extension set of 30 labels. By using both sheets you can fully label any keyboard of up to 88-keys, the size of a standard piano keyboard, but if you don't have a teacher we suggest fitting the grand-staff set only to begin with.
If you are learning in a "traditional" way then you probably just need to fit the the 22-label grand staff set. Here's why...
The 22 Keynotes on the "grand-staff" sheet cover the 3 octave range in the centre of the keyboard. The grand-staff (or "great-staff") is the system of lines and spaces used to write keyboard music. This is made up of the treble staff for the right hand, and the bass staff for the left hand. Higher and lower notes are written above and below the staffs on small lines called ledger lines (see picture below). When you start to learn, though, you will be concentrating on the area around middle C, which is the note between the staffs. By the time you have progressed enough to be playing music with notes on ledger lines, you will be very familiar with the names and positions of the notes, and will have realised that the pattern of the keys repeats in octaves. By this time you will not be relying on the labels any more, so you really don't need to label every key! Many teachers don't even use the whole grand staff set - for example, some just use the "c" notes to act as "signposts" for the first few lessons.
For various reasons, though, you may want to have all the keys labelled, so Keynotes come with an extension set of 30 labels. By using both sheets you can fully label any keyboard of up to 88-keys, the size of a standard piano keyboard, but if you don't have a teacher we suggest fitting the grand-staff set only to begin with.
Q. The middle line in the bass staff is a "D" note, but the middle line of the treble staff is a "B" note - shouldn't they be the same?A. No, they shouldn't. When you start to learn this looks wrong, but is in fact correct. Relating notes on lines and spaces to keys on the keyboard can be confusing when you're starting. Keynotes help you by showing you a note's position on the grand staff used for keyboard music, not just on the bass or treble staff, as most labels do. The application guide also shows very clearly how the notes of the grand staff relate to the keys on the keyboard.
Q. What about the black notes - don't I need labels for those too?A. No. The black notes are named by referring to the white notes either side of them; so for example, the black note between C and D can be either "C sharp" or "D flat" This is shown on the Keynotes label by the appropriate sharp or flat symbol next to the black note - it's easier to see than describe - see photo.
Q. How long will it take to fit them?
A. About 20 minutes. Just applying Keynotes is a great first lesson - by the time you are finished you will already be getting familiar with the note names and positions, and your keyboard will be a slightly less intimidating thing ... Included in the pack is a simple tool to help you place the labels neatly.
Q. Will they damage my keyboard?
A. No. Keynotes are made to peel off easily and leave no residue when you no longer need them (which may be sooner than you think!). Any mark that is left around the edge of the label will just be finger grime and is easily removed with any polish etc. suitable for normal keyboard cleaning.
Q. What if I need help?
A. Email me! I'll normally answer within 24 hours (often less) and will help as much as I can with using the labels.
Q. Is a keyboard included?
A. No! I've had to put this in as someone thought that they would be getting a keyboard as well as the labels for their £4.95 .....
Q. What is the links page?
A. It's a webpage containing a list of links to useful free resources I have found whilst helping my children learn to play. It is reviewed and updated regularly. There is a great deal of information available on the internet to help you learn to play and read music, but as with most things on the internet, the quality ranges from excellent to awful - some sites are very confusing and have incorrect information. The page provides links to the best sites, with notes on how you will find them useful. They will be especially helpful if you are learning on your own and not taking one-to-one lessons with a teacher, but everyone should find something of interest - there are free lessons (many with very helpful animated graphics), ear-training applications, musical games, sheet music, and even an app that lets you print your own manuscript paper for a fraction of the cost of buying it! There are also sites in French and German to support the "H" and "Solfége" versions of Keynotes.
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