C D E

D’s Neighbors: C and E

D has neighbors! C lives just to the left of Team of 2, and E lives just to the right. Together, C-D-E form a neighborhood — three notes that are always next to each other, always anchored by the black key landmark your child already knows. This is the most important group of notes in beginning piano.

With C, D, and E, your child can play real melodies — including a review of Mary Had a Little Lamb. The song they may have heard since infancy is now something they can play with their own hands.

What You’ll Learn

• C = Left of Team of 2 — C sits just to the left of every group of 2 black keys. Find one C, you’ve found them all
• E = Right of Team of 2 — E sits just to the right of the group of 2 black keys. C-D-E wraps around Team of 2 like a neighborhood
• C-D-E in Both Hands — Practice finding and playing C-D-E with right hand and left hand separately
• Mary Had a Little Lamb — E-D-C-D-E-E-E — the C-D-E neighborhood in action. A real, recognizable song

Practice Activity

The C-D-E Hop: Start at the lowest C on the keyboard. Play C-D-E, then jump up to the next C and play C-D-E again. Hop all the way up the keyboard, then come back down. Say the letter names out loud each time. This builds note recognition and keyboard geography simultaneously.