How to Draw a Piano Keyboard - Music Theory

Music Matters
8 Feb 201804:19
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this engaging video, Gareth shares a humorous anecdote about his lack of talent in art, revealed through a disappointing high school exam result. Despite this, he demonstrates a simple yet effective technique for visualizing musical theory without the need for artistic skills. By quickly sketching an octave of a keyboard, Gareth illustrates how to identify notes, including sharps and flats, which is invaluable for music theory exams or understanding music away from an instrument. This approachable method proves that one doesn't need to be a great artist to grasp musical concepts, making music theory accessible to everyone.

Takeaways
  • πŸ˜€ Drawing a keyboard diagram helps visualize notes for theory exams or when an instrument isn't available
  • 🎹 The diagram doesn't need artistic skill - simple lines and blobs work fine
  • 🎡 Include a line for each white note from C to C
  • β™― Add blobs for black notes between appropriate white notes
  • πŸ– No need to perfectly space or shape the keyboard diagram
  • πŸ“ Use the visualization to identify semitones, tones, scales, intervals, etc
  • ✏️ Quickly scribble a keyboard diagram on scrap paper when needed
  • πŸ”’ The diagram can represent sharp or flat notes at the same line
  • 🎼 Helps to see what notes match enharmonically, like F# and Gb
  • πŸ™Œ Even poor artistic skill can yield a useful music theory aid
Q & A
  • Why does Gareth mention his poor art skills in relation to music theory?

    -Gareth mentions his poor art skills to emphasize that even those not skilled in art can easily draw a basic keyboard layout, which is a useful tool for understanding music theory.

  • What is the purpose of drawing an octave of a keyboard for music theory?

    -Drawing an octave of a keyboard helps in visualizing the notes, their positions, and their relationships, such as which notes are sharp or flat, aiding in understanding music theory concepts.

  • How can drawing a simple keyboard layout aid someone taking a music theory exam?

    -For a music theory exam, drawing a keyboard layout can help in quickly referencing notes, understanding scales, calculating intervals, and identifying sharp and flat notes.

  • Why are no black notes drawn between E and F, and B and C in Gareth's keyboard diagram?

    -In a keyboard, there are no black notes (sharps or flats) between E and F, and B and C. This is a standard in music theory, reflecting the half-step intervals between these notes.

  • What does Gareth mean by saying a note can be known as F-sharp and G-flat?

    -This refers to the concept of enharmonic equivalents in music, where a single note can be named differently depending on context, such as F-sharp and G-flat sounding the same but notated differently.

  • How does the drawn keyboard layout help in understanding scales and intervals?

    -The keyboard layout visually represents the notes and their spacing, making it easier to identify and understand the structure of scales and the distance between intervals in music theory.

  • Can this method of drawing a keyboard be useful for individuals who don't play the piano?

    -Yes, this method is beneficial for anyone studying music theory, regardless of their primary instrument, as it provides a visual aid for understanding the relationships between notes.

  • What does Gareth imply by mentioning his art skills when drawing the keyboard?

    -Gareth implies that creating this keyboard diagram doesn't require artistic talent, but rather it's a simple and effective tool for understanding music theory.

  • How does the keyboard diagram assist in calculating intervals in music?

    -The diagram helps in calculating intervals by providing a visual reference for the distance between notes, making it easier to determine intervals like semitones and tones.

  • What does Gareth suggest about the utility of this keyboard drawing outside of exams?

    -Gareth suggests that the keyboard drawing is also useful outside of exams, like when thinking about music away from the instrument, as it helps in visualizing and understanding musical concepts.

Outlines
00:00
😁 Scribbling a Keyboard for Music Theory Help

The narrator explains that he was terrible at art in school and still is. He shares a tip for scribbling a simple keyboard diagram with white and black notes when prepping for music theory exams or working out scales, intervals etc. This visual aid helps identify notes, accidentals, and relationships easily even if you can't get to an actual keyboard.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘Art
Art refers to creative work like painting, drawing, etc. The narrator mentions he was terrible at art in school and still is bad at it. He shows simple artwork of a keyboard to illustrate that even poor artistic skills are enough to draw something helpful for music.
πŸ’‘Keyboard
A keyboard is a musical instrument with black and white keys. The narrator draws a simple keyboard to help visualize the notes for music theory.
πŸ’‘Notes
Notes refer to the sounds that make up melodies and harmonies in music. The narrator maps out the notes like C, D, E etc on the keyboard drawing to illustrate their positions.
πŸ’‘Octave
An octave is the interval between one musical note and another with double its frequency. The narrator draws one octave on the keyboard from C to C to show all the white and black notes.
πŸ’‘Theory
Music theory involves the study of concepts like notation, scales, chords, rhythm etc. The narrator says the keyboard drawing can help with theory exams and working through theory.
πŸ’‘Visualization
Visualization means forming a mental image or picture of something. The narrator uses the simple keyboard drawing to help visualize and think about notes, scales, chords etc.
πŸ’‘Sharp
In music, a sharp indicates a note that is a semitone higher like C sharp. The narrator points out the black notes on his keyboard that are sharps.
πŸ’‘Flat
In music, a flat lowers a note by a semitone like C flat. The narrator indicates the black notes on the keyboard that are flats.
πŸ’‘Interval
An interval in music theory is the difference between two notes. The narrator says the keyboard drawing can help figure out intervals.
πŸ’‘Scale
A scale in music is a set of notes in ascending or descending order. The narrator mentions being able to work out scales using the visual keyboard.
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Transcripts
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