In the late 1880s, piano maker Steinway created the 88-key piano, the standard ever since, 52 white keys and 36 black, and most piano makers accept this as the practical limit because the human ...

There are 36 black keys on a standard 88-key piano. The black keys represent sharps and flats. A standard piano with 88 keys has 52 white keys. The white keys are the natural notes.