Virtual Piano black keys offset

Question

This is quite off-topic to some extent but I think it's still the right place to ask.

I am working on a new app and I want to implement an octave of piano keys in there. Unfortunately, in order to save space, I can't put the black keys in between the white ones, I need them to be aligned (unlike on a real piano). Now, I can't decide between letting them start on the C, or the D.

my preferred way would be to let the black keys start above the C

the other possibilities would be to let it start on the D

What would you consider to be more "playable"? Please ignore the rest of the picture, I just used the app screenshot for demonstration. Also, do you think it is ok to place the black keys like that? Could you work with that?

Thanks, Alex

EDIT: I now played with both layouts for a couple of minutes and actually I got on with them way better than I thought. However, I now found another way to switch octaves (which is what I needed the space for) and will go for the "original" layout

UPDATE: Thanks a lot for everyone replying and making me rethink the layout. I now sacrificed a bit of the functionality and went for this:

Answer 1

Both are very unintuitive and kind of confusing. Why can't you put them in the middle, like in the Roland TB 3?

They occupy the same space as in your setup, but the positioning makes more sense and is more intuitive.

Answer 2

I do it like

But, really, a pc keyboard has no key velocity and is often limited to 3 keys down max before it starts ignoring keys... bleh :(

Answer 3

Both are unintuitive and ambiguous, but if I had to choose, I would go with the second for two reasons:

1. Fingering with the right hand works a little bit better for chromatic scales, as well as flat keys (but the opposite is true for sharp keys and the left hand -- I'm considering that the right hand will be used more often).
2. It visually looks more like a piano keyboard to have space on either side of the black keys.

But really if at all possible, you should go with JCPedroza's suggestion.

Answer 4

Notwithstanding the fact that a keyboard player would hate it no matter what, from a logical standpoint neither can make sense, and for a reason: it would depend whether, in context, the black keys would be sharps or flats.

I suppose you'll have to go with @JCPedroza's suggestion.