Piano Technique: Keyboard Layout: The Four “Middles”

Lesson Goal: To understand the four “middles” on an 88 key keyboard and how they impact your visuospatial awareness…

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Prerequisites

None.

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A Typical 88 Key Keyboard

Before we talk about the four “middles” let’s remind ourselves that a standard 88 key keyboard has 52 white notes and 36 black notes…

Feel free to take a moment to go to your piano and count them for yourself.

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The Four “Middles”

The four “Middles” are middle C, the nameplate, the crack between middle E and middle F, and middle D. Let’s take a closer look one by one and discuss why understanding where these “middles” are is so important to your keyboard sense and piano technique.

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Middle C

The first “middle” is middle C, the C closest to the middle of the keyboard and probably the very first note that every beginner learns…

But did you know that middle C is not quite in the physical center of an 88 key keyboard?

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The Nameplate

The second “middle” is where the name of the piano maker is located. In this case, notice that the center of “Kawai” is just left of the crack between middle D and middle E…

Note: The advice of some teachers to sit in the center of the nameplate should be taken with a grain of salt because the nameplate location may vary from one piano maker to another and follows no particular standard except to be somewhere close to the middle.

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The Crack between Middle E & Middle F

The third “middle” is the crack between E and F just above middle C…

Did you know that the precise middle of an 88 key keyboard is the “crack” between E and F above middle C? Prove it to yourself by counting the number of white keys on either side of the crack (26). It’s also the exact center point in terms of total number of keys on an 88 key keyboard–44 keys to the left of the crack and 44 keys to the right.

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Middle D

The fourth middle is middle D, which has a very special property: the keys are perfectly symmetrical (a mirror image) in terms of white keys and black keys as you go from middle D in either direction: up or down the keyboard…

Prove this to yourself by playing middle D with both thumbs, then work right with your right hand while going left with your left hand one key at a time. You’ll find the exact same sequence of white and black keys in both hands.

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Why all the Fuss about Middle D?

It’s good practice to routinely center yourself-–both physically and mentally-–on middle D every time you sit down to play. (This does not mean that you must rigidly aligned with middle D. It’s OK to lean left or right as needed in order to play in very low or very high registers.)

Doing so serves at least three purposes:

1. It puts your body in a comfortable central location for playing most kinds of music.
2. It gives you a repeatable position for developing visuospatial awareness of the keyboard in your mind’s eye.
3. It cultivates a consistent sense of where your body is located in relation to the piano keys.

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Takeaways

Unless a particular piece of music compels you to sit farther left or right, center yourself physically and mentally on middle D!

Doing so gives your proprioception and muscle memory a consistent visual and spatial vantage point to interact with the dance floor of the piano keyboard.

Make this a habit every time you sit down to play and enjoy the results!

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