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Octave Breakdown

Notice that each "C" is highlighted in the above keyboard? This makes it easier to identify each octave (range of 8 keys).

Based on this picture, try to find the C's on your piano. Can you find them all? There are a total of 8 (the last C is not highlighted), and each is evenly spaced from the other, except for the first one.

By identifying the C keys, you have separated your piano into different sections. It's much easier to think of the piano not as an overwhelming whole, but as a conglomerate of different sections, with every C key beginning a new section of 8 pitches (excluding black keys).

For beginners, we will only need to focus on the Bass C and Middle C octaves, so we can just ignore the rest of the piano.

Review

1. We can separate the piano into different sections by splicing C octaves.
2. Beginners need only focus on the Bass C and Middle C octaves.