How It Works?

How It Works?

The PianoPics musical notation system uses a visual approach to easily learn
to play the piano from printed sheet music. Below is a short explanation of the process, please click on the underlined words and they will take you to illustrations that will demonstrate the process.

The PianoPics musical notation system includes "scale bars" to relate the PianoPics to a specific area on the actual keyboard. The "scale bar" without left or right arrows corresponds to the Middle "C" 12-notes group in the center of the keyboard.

Within the identified area, the specific keys are pictured using the black and white rectangles hanging underneath the scale bar.

The diagram located above the scale bar tells us about the timing of the pianopic. Indeed, it informs us precisely of the order in which the keys are to be struck and of the individual sound duration.

At the top left corner of each PianoPic sheet of music, there is a symbol representing the tempo or speed at which the musical piece is meant to be played at.

Sometimes the absence of notes needs to be represented. Rests are pianopics with a timing diagram but without the symbols for keys.

Occasionally, there is a need to start a note in one PianoPic then to carry it over to the next pianopic. This is called a tie with a total note duration equal to the sum of the beats in both pianopics.

A special timing representation of the note duration consists of a shadow in the timing circle and is used of legato playing.

last updated 2/3/2001