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TheMusicalAlphabetp.2|Basics|StudyBass

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TheMusicalAlphabet

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TheMusicalAlphabetp.2
byAndrewPouska

VisualizingtheMusicalAlphabetonthePiano
Keyboard
Now that you know the basic music note terms natural, sharp, and flat,
lets look at the musical alphabet on the piano keyboard. Regardless of
the instrument you play, many things make more sense and are more
easily remembered when visualized on the piano keyboard.

WhitePianoKeys

BassistQuotes

The white keys on the piano are all the natural notes - A, B, C, D, E, F,

and G.

IlistentowhatI
thinkisthequality
ofthemusicandnot
thetechnique.Only
laterwillIbecome
awareofthetechnique
oftheplayer.

BlackPianoKeys
In between most of the natural notes (white keys) there is a black key.
The black keys are sharps and flats.
You will notice that the black keys each have a name with a sharp and a
name with a flat. Its important to understand the same note can have
more than one name. Two note names describing the very same note are

said to be enharmonic. Later you will learn the rules for when you use
the sharp note name or the flat note name.

TonyLevin

BigCatsEatFish
Another thing you should notice is there is no note between B and C and
no note between E and F. They just skip to the next natural note. This is

Lingo

important to remember. You can remember these two exceptions with a

axe:

phrase like Big Cats Eat Fish. (There is a reason for these two exceptions,

slangtermforone's

but an explanation would be too complicated for this lesson. You will
learn why in later lessons.)

instrument.

TheNotesoftheMusicalAlphabet

More from the StudyBassDictionary

Starting on the note A on the left of the piano keyboard, follow the notes
going up the piano keyboard (moving right). The 12 notes of the musical
alphabet are:
1

Aor
B

3
B

Cor
D

Dor
E

8
E

10

For
G

11
G

12

A
Gor (next
A
octave)

The order of the 12 notes is always the same. The same cycle of 12 note
names just repeats again and again. As I said before, it is the same for all
musical instruments.
Now that you know how the musical alphabet works, lets look at how it
works on the bass...
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