Everyone wants to know how to play piano, it is a great way to impress people. All it takes is a little practice and some hard work. Playing piano is surprisingly simple. The number one thing to know is the laws and rules to the instrument.

Step 1: Note Lengths and Time Signatures

In music different lengths of notes (the amount of time you hold them) is a very basic system. Here is a simple way of putting it.

Whole note = 2 Half notes = 4 Quarter notes = 8 Eighth notes = 16 sixteenth notes = 32 thirty-second note = etc........

A graph of the notes can be found below. To continue on to 64th notes etc. you just add another tail. So, each note is worth half of the one before it. Groups of notes work together to create a measure. The amount of beats in a measure is decided in the time signature. The time signature also decides which note gets one beat. the time signature looks like a fraction. Here is a basic time signature.

4 -- The amount of beats per measure (four beats)
--
4 -- Note that has one beat (the quarter note)

Step 2: Different Notes

Here are the notes on a piano.

Step 3: Staffs

Piano is created by the Grand Staff. The Grand Staff is split into two parts the Treble Clef and the Bass Clef. The Treble Clef is usually middle C and above, as you can see in the last picture. The Bass Clef is usually middle C and below, as you can see in the last picture. I say usually because there are some exceptions to this rule.

Step 4: Flats, Sharps, and Key Signatures

Back on step 2 you can see a graph with a piano on it. Now between the white keys (besides E-F and B-C) black keys when music designates you to play these keys they have little symbols (depicted in the pictures). If you have a sharp you play the black one up. If you have a flat you play the black key one down. The exceptions to this rule are that C flat is the same as B. B sharp is the same as C. F flat is the same as E and E flat is the same as F. At the beginning of some music you will see some flats or sharps, that just means that you flat and sharp those notes.