When playing piano, how do I know which octave the piece starts on?

Question:

When playing piano, how do I know which octave the piece starts on?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: yaktur...you need absolute pitch (commonly known as 'perfect pitch') to be able to distinguish one note from another (knowing which sound is which note) when you're only listening and not looking at the score. few people have this talent. you're either born with it or you aren't. you can't learn absolute pitch, you can only strengthen your relative pitch to help you deduce which note it is from another reference note which is given to you.

to the questioner: i assume you're a beginning pianist? because trained pianists will be able to tell which note the piece starts on just by looking at the score. unless you're talking about trying to listen for which note the piece starts on without looking at the score. a good reference point when looking at your score is middle C, which most of the other answerers have already described. Source(s):
conservatory pianist, lifelong musician (violin, viola, harp, voice) Middle C is the ledger line below the treble clef. The answerer who said Middle C is the third space on the treble clef is wrong. Middle C is on a leger line between the two clefs. It never moves, actually none of the notes ever move. The third space in the treble is the C above middle C. The first line on the treble is always the E above middle C. All the treble lines and spaces occur within the first 10 notes above middle C and all the Bass lines and spaces are the first 10 notes below middle C. All other notes would have leger lines to describe them.
Hope this helps. Middle C is always your reference point and as indicated by the responder who answered above me it is always located one ledger line below the treble staff. On the piano, Middle C is the "C" most nearly in the center of the piano. I would say that your notation should reveal what octave you should begin. If you see "8va......" that would mean an octave higher than written.

Regarding Middle C: It is called Middle C because anciently, written staffs (staves?) were run close together, allowing a single line to separate the treble from the bass clefs. Now, the grand staff is separated ideally for the eye and Middle C is always located on the ledger line between both clefs. I'm a little surprised to hear a pianist ask this. I also play piano as well as bass and trombone. Are you not able to distinguish a note just by hearing it? It should come as naturally as breathing.