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Piano · Lesson 4 of 10

Black keys, sharps and flats

From any key to the very next key, black or white, is a half step: the smallest step on the piano. Two half steps make a whole step, with one key in between.

A sharp (♯) means one half step higher and a flat (♭) means one half step lower. The black key just right of C is C♯, and that same key is also D♭, because it's a half step below D. Every black key has two names like this.

Two pairs of white keys have no black key between them: E and F, and B and C. Those are half steps already, so the key a half step up from E is F, and a whole step up from E is F♯.

CDEFGABC♯D♭D♯E♭F♯G♭G♯A♭A♯B♭
Each black key has a sharp name (from the key on its left) and a flat name (from the key on its right).

Practice

Black key names

Play the black key named. Any octave counts.

Computer keys: A S D… for the white keys, W E T… for the black keys, Z X move an octave.

More info

Tips

  • When you see a sharp or flat in music, find the plain note first, then move one key right for a sharp or left for a flat.

Playing the exercises

Use a MIDI keyboard (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera), the computer keys (A S D… for white keys, W E T… for black keys, Z X to move an octave), or tap the keys on the screen. A key lights up after a couple of wrong tries.

The answers

  1. What's another name for C♯? D♭. The black key between C and D is a half step above C and a half step below D, so it's both C♯ and D♭.
  2. What is a half step up from B? C. There's no black key between B and C, so the very next key up from B is C.
  3. How many half steps make a whole step? Two. A whole step skips one key: two half steps.
  4. What does a flat sign (♭) do to a note? Makes it a half step lower. A flat lowers a note by a half step; a sharp raises it by one.
  5. Which of these is a whole step? D to E. D and E have a black key between them, so D to E is two half steps. E to F and B to C are half steps.