Free online note finder

Every note name repeats up and down the keyboard: there’s a C in each octave, then a D, and so on. Pick a note and this tool lights up every key with that name, so you can see the pattern instead of counting up from the left each time.

Here’s how to read the keyboard, why the names repeat, and how to find any note quickly.

How to use it

Pick a note from the menu and every key with that name lights up across the keyboard, labelled. Tap any key to hear it. Switch the flats toggle to read the black keys as flats instead of sharps.

Why the names repeat

The twelve keys in an octave — seven white, five black — repeat at every octave, so the layout you learn once works everywhere on the piano. The white keys are the plain letters A to G; the black keys are the sharps and flats between them.

How to find a note fast

Use the black-key groups as landmarks. C is the white key just to the left of each group of two black keys; F is the white key just to the left of each group of three. From those two anchors you can name any nearby key without counting from the end.

FAQ

Why does the same note name appear many times? Each name repeats once per octave. Two keys with the same name sound the same, one higher than the other.

What’s the difference between sharps and flats? They’re two names for the same black keys. C♯ and D♭ are the same key; which name you use depends on the key you’re playing in.

How do I find middle C? It’s the C nearest the middle of the keyboard. Find a group of two black keys near the centre and take the white key just to their left.