Learn to Play Piano With Letters

"Piano Tab... An Alternative Way to Learn & Play"

Our Piano Tab Features

  • Play piano with letters instead of note symbols. An alternate method for a visual learner intimidated by the piano sheet music. A fun and fast way to learn to play piano.

  • The piano tabs display fingering numbers for the right and left hand with red and blue letters. This is an easier way to learn piano sheet music with very little piano training.

  • A keyboard template is used as a guide and is visible at the top of each page. Middle "C" is highlighted in red or blue in the header for easy reference on where the song starts.

What Is Piano Tab?

Piano Tab created by Play Piano by Letters was founded in 2016 and has become an enjoyable and alternative method for reading piano music. This Piano Tab functions by replacing note symbols with letters. Piano Tab is perfect for guitar players who are familiar with guitar tab and is interested in learning how to play piano. Piano Tab provides an unconventional and innovative hybrid method of reading sheet music. In much of the same way Guitar Tab decodes sheet music for guitar players, Piano Tab translates regular sheet music into a color-coded, easy to interpret custom piano music sheet. Piano Tab displays right-hand fingering numbers with red note letters and left-hand fingering numbers blue note letters.

Piano Tab is a perfect method for visual learners and the most remarkable feature of Piano Tab is the conversion of standard sheet music to letters. It is particularly helpful for beginner piano players, and for those who are looking to learn new songs every once in a while. Even someone with minimal music knowledge can figure out how to use Piano Tab with ease. The complexities of sheet music are easily tackled with Piano Tab due to how it is laid out and structured.

Most students tend to struggle with playing hands together, deciphering key signatures and understanding rhythm counting. With Piano Tab, all these issues are solved/reduced by showing less information on each page. This allows a more open look when trying to understand what is going on.

The process of creating a song and /or book you see on playpianobyletters.com is created manually; note-by-note, meticulously converting every symbol to letters and placing them on a piano tab sheet. This is done primarily to aid in the learning process and make available an additional tool when learning how to play music or songs on the piano.

Reading Piano Tab is pretty straightforward. A keyboard template is used as a guide, visible at the top of each page with Middle “C” colored red or blue to help reference where to start. The rhythm count or beat of the song is located in the left column along with each measure number and chords if needed. When two or more notes are played together, it’s indicated by a “dotted line”. A blue or red bold vertical line under a note letter represents a hold note value or sustained count. You read letters starting at the top of the page moving toward the bottom of the page. This can take some time to get used to, however, once you do get used to it, it will be your go-to method. Piano Tab also resembles a “piano roll” used in player pianos and the “Guitar Hero” the video game.

How To Read Piano Tabs

Video Summary

  • 1. Read letters from top to the bottom of the page.
  • 2. Middle C on the keyboard template can be red or blue & references where to start.
  • 3. Rhythm count is located on the left column along with each measure number.
  • 4. Notes played are colored blue and red which corresponds to left and right hand.
  • 5. Fingering numbers are next to the note letters.
  • 6. When two or more notes are played together it's indicated by a dotted line.
  • 7. A blue or red bold vertical line under a note letter represents a sustained count.

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