Keyboard Tablature

Keyboard Tablature

Keyboard / Piano tablature is a system of tablature or musical notation written using letters and numbers that designate the timing and keys to hit on a keyboard or piano. Modern piano tablature is based on scientific pitch notation, a variation of letter notation which has roots going back to the 11th century when Italian Guido of Arezzo developed Solfege.

An example of modern piano tab notation - the scale of "f" played on 2 octaves:

3|--------c-d-e-f-| 2|f-g-a-A---------| 2|--------c-d-e-f-| 1|f-g-a-A---------|

• The numbers on the left (3, 2, 2 and 1 in the above example) indicate the octave. All octaves start on the "c" key. Octave 4 is in the middle of the keyboard (starting on c4, or "middle C").
• Lowercase letters (a,b,c,d,e,f,g) indicate the note names as natural (white keys).
• Uppercase letters (A,C,D,F,G) indicate the note names as sharp (black keys), i.e.: A#,C#,D#,F#,G# (There is no "B" (B#), nor "E" (E#), since there are no sharps (black keys) between b and c, nor between e and f).
• The "|" symbols separate measures / sections of notes.
• The "-" symbols are used for spacing.

This is what the system looks like on an actual keyboard:

Another Example of Piano Tab Notation - the chords E, F, and G: e f g 3|---|-c-|-d-| 2|-b-|-a-|-b-| 2|-G-|-f-|-g-| 2|-e-|---|---|