Why is the number of black keys less?
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- KVRAF
- 3257 posts since 28 Dec, 2007
I can understand why there are more black keys, but why do they have to be smaller as well?
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- KVRian
- 1084 posts since 12 Sep, 2008 from Your basement
So you can hit an octave or more with one hand, I think.tattiemannie wrote:I can understand why there are more black keys, but why do they have to be smaller as well?
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chicken muffin chicken muffin https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=137792
- Banned
- 998 posts since 28 Jan, 2007
a7 wrote:I'm almost certain it's just because there are fewer of them.
best answer yet. occams razor at work
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- KVRAF
- 1724 posts since 31 Dec, 2004 from betwixt
Just an octave for me sadlyOgg Vorbis wrote:So you can hit an octave or more with one hand, I think.tattiemannie wrote:I can understand why there are more black keys, but why do they have to be smaller as well?
But on a similar note - why are there not keyboards with all keys (black and white) of the same height? I imagine that would be wonderful fun to play on.
Chromatic gliss of frightening speed
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- KVRian
- 1084 posts since 12 Sep, 2008 from Your basement
My Korg Nano 'board is set up that way. It's actually more playable than one might think!AetherCoyl wrote:Just an octave for me sadlyOgg Vorbis wrote:So you can hit an octave or more with one hand, I think.tattiemannie wrote:I can understand why there are more black keys, but why do they have to be smaller as well?
But on a similar note - why are there not keyboards with all keys (black and white) of the same height? I imagine that would be wonderful fun to play on.
Chromatic gliss of frightening speed
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
I don't have any idea why the keyboard is laid out qua keyboard playing, that's something which never quite 'took' for me;
but it is kind of interesting how you have white keys as the heptatonic, 'ionian mode', or better known as major scale, with the base note as it happens is C, which seems central to the layout; and is that all white keys a 'white' kinda sound or what...
and on the other hand you have the black keys giving you things such as 'Eb minor pentatonic', and kind of more ethnic basis in a way...
but it is kind of interesting how you have white keys as the heptatonic, 'ionian mode', or better known as major scale, with the base note as it happens is C, which seems central to the layout; and is that all white keys a 'white' kinda sound or what...
and on the other hand you have the black keys giving you things such as 'Eb minor pentatonic', and kind of more ethnic basis in a way...
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- KVRist
- 184 posts since 6 Jul, 2005
black and white keys in a diverent order....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard
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- KVRAF
- 3257 posts since 28 Dec, 2007
The point we are missing here though, is that there is no reason to have keys of a different colour, or height at all!
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- Banned
- 3299 posts since 20 Dec, 2008
mmm I think you'll find this only happens on hardware; on software vst's there is the same amount of white and black note. Seriously, go on, count em.
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- KVRAF
- 3944 posts since 7 May, 2004 from behind his workbench
great thread! 
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- KVRist
- 144 posts since 15 Oct, 2009 from Perth, Australia
As I understand it (and I'm no expert), the easiest way to think about the arrangement of white and black keys is this:
The white keys from C to the C an octave higher are a major scale (the key of C major). The pattern of notes to create any major scale (starting from the root note and ascending) is: (root) tone; tone; semitone; tone; tone; tone; semitone; (root).
Or in other words, the notes: C; D; E; F; G; A; B; C (if you are in the key of C).
The black notes "fill in" the gaps between consecutive tones, so that if you play each successive note (whether white or black) consecutively each interval is a semitone higher than the preceding note.
BUT, since the gap between E & F, and B & C are already semitones, not tones, there is no need (or indeed space) for a black key between them.
I hope this makes sense
That said, the arrangement of notes on a keyboard is to some extent arbitrary. Many other keyboard instruments do not use the familiar "piano" keyboard: for example chromatic button accordions. The exact same notes are available, but they are laid out differently, presumably because they offer some advantages to the player.
one layout of a chromatic button accordion keyboard
If you want really weird, checkout the Janko keyboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard
And just to make it even more confusing, the layout of black and white keys on a piano keyboard really only works well if the keyboard is tuned to the modern equal temperament system. If the keyboard is tuned to the older just temperament or meantone temperament systems, in order to be able to play in any key you actually need a whole lot of extra keys "between" the standard notes (there is NO WAY I'm going to get into why this is so - matter of fact I'm pretty hazy on it myself ). But here are a couple of piccies of keyboards with the extra notes added.
Hey - and they both have more black notes than white notes - conspiracy or what?!
Cheers,
The white keys from C to the C an octave higher are a major scale (the key of C major). The pattern of notes to create any major scale (starting from the root note and ascending) is: (root) tone; tone; semitone; tone; tone; tone; semitone; (root).
Or in other words, the notes: C; D; E; F; G; A; B; C (if you are in the key of C).
The black notes "fill in" the gaps between consecutive tones, so that if you play each successive note (whether white or black) consecutively each interval is a semitone higher than the preceding note.
BUT, since the gap between E & F, and B & C are already semitones, not tones, there is no need (or indeed space) for a black key between them.
I hope this makes sense
That said, the arrangement of notes on a keyboard is to some extent arbitrary. Many other keyboard instruments do not use the familiar "piano" keyboard: for example chromatic button accordions. The exact same notes are available, but they are laid out differently, presumably because they offer some advantages to the player.
one layout of a chromatic button accordion keyboard
If you want really weird, checkout the Janko keyboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard
And just to make it even more confusing, the layout of black and white keys on a piano keyboard really only works well if the keyboard is tuned to the modern equal temperament system. If the keyboard is tuned to the older just temperament or meantone temperament systems, in order to be able to play in any key you actually need a whole lot of extra keys "between" the standard notes (there is NO WAY I'm going to get into why this is so - matter of fact I'm pretty hazy on it myself
). But here are a couple of piccies of keyboards with the extra notes added.Hey - and they both have more black notes than white notes - conspiracy or what?!
Cheers,