Standard Form 88: Fill & Download for Free

Yes.On a standard 88-key piano, there are eight C notes, each an octave apart from one another. Middle C is the fourth C from the lowest and is, therefore, called C4.

I don't believe that Beethoven uses the lowest and highest half octaves. The piano he played was a different instrument than what we use now-it had a range of only 6 octaves.This would be pretty similar to what Beethoven would have played-this one is an 1810 version (Beethoven died in 1827)Chopin has music that can take you down to the lowest C on the keyboard, and the highest F, so if you are going to play anything by him, yep, better invest. He died in 1849.This is a picture of one of Chopin's pianos-the range is a little different, but not quite the same size of today's standard 88. It appears that high F is the highest note and the low C is the lowest note on this piano, so he used all the keys he had available to him:The modern 88 has a lower A and a high C-just a little bigger than this one.Grieg's A minor Concerto uses the lowest note on the modern keyboard (A). For sure, by then (late 19th century) the piano was up to the full 88.A modern piano is over 7 octaves, but there is at least one model (the Bosendorfer) that go a few notes below the standard 88:The black keys are the keys that aren't standard-and don't get used all that much since most piano music isn't written for this oddball stuff. There are some modern compositions that use these keys, but for standard repertoire, you won't be using these keys at all. So save your money on something like this.Generally, these keys are hidden away like this in the black cover, it would confuse most pianists to see them regularly and would increase the likelihood of playing errors:So, if you know for sure that you aren't going to play anything written later than, say, 1849 ( the year of Chopin's death) and you REALLY cannot afford the full keyboard, then you might be able to get away with it as long as the keyboard looks like Chopin's keyboard here. Anything composed post Chopin would probably be a problem if you don't have the full keyboard.However, be that as it may, I'd say if you are looking to learn classical piano, don't limit yourself-get the full monty. A good digital piano with 88 weighted keys will run you about $2500-I'm pretty sure you can afford that if you make payments on it.

Yes.The Austrian manufacturer L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH (which is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yamaha) is “unusual in that it produces 97- and 92-key models in addition to instruments with standard 88-key keyboards.”You can read more about it there at WP. Basically, it has an additional half- or full-octave of lower notes, the keys for which are sometimes hidden under a hinged panel.Most pianists have a very high regard for Bösendorfers, equal or perhaps surpassing Steinway & Sons, etc.Here’s a photo from a dealer in the UK, showing what appears to be a 97-key model: