Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Are you having a tough time reading piano notes for the left hand? (Or are you a piano teacher who have students that can’t read the left hand notes?) Many piano students quit piano because of the hurdle of reading two different clefs. Color coding can bridge the gap and help piano students master the instrument. Keep reading to learn about playing piano with color coded left hand notes.
Don’t have a music keyboard? Not a problem! Try this online keyboard:
I wrote the post, Playing the Piano with Color Coded Notes, as a practical example of color coded music.
- It shows how the different color coded elements work together to help students learn.
- However, it only deals with the notes played by the right hand.
- Today’s post will focus on the left hand.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes: Why Color Coding?
Why play piano with color coded left hand notes? Because musical notation is counter intuitive.
- Siu-Lan Tan found that non-musicians usually thought that music notation would function the opposite way than it does in actual practice.
- This means that beginning students will often struggle to grasp how the sheet music works.
This goes double for ADD, LD, ASD, and special needs music students.
- George L. Rogers found that color coded notes allowed LD and special needs students to score better than typical learner students.
- However, they failed to read the music at all with the color coding absent.
- Nevertheless, color coding doesn’t need to be limited to LD and special needs students.
For more on color coding read:
The Hand Position and Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
Hand Icon (churien.deviantart.com/art/hand-template-blank-272630198) by Churien is licensed under CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Modified by Geoffrey Keith.
Before you try to play piano with color coded left hand notes, we need to talk about fingering.
Here’s the left hand fingering for G position:
- First Finger: The thumb goes on the D (gray) key
- Second Finger: The pointer finger goes on the C (orange) key
- Third Finger: The middle man goes on the B (blue) key
- Fourth Finger: The ring finger goes on the A (purple) key
- Fifth Finger: The pinky goes on the G (green) key
Color coding the instrument and the fingers pulls everything together:
- For instance, the student presses the purple finger, on the purple key, reading the purple note in the score.
For further info:
Merrily We Roll Along and Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes
As you attempt to play piano with color coded left hand notes, say and play the note names to a steady beat.
- In addition, say and play the finger numbers (the black numbers).
- Clap and count the rhythm (the red and blue numbers).
For a review of counting rhythm read:
In addition, I’ve included a sound track for Merrily We Roll Along.
- Don’t listen to the track before you attempt the song.
- Instead, listen to the sound track after you’ve tried the song to see if you got it right.
Your core skills for early piano lessons:
- Notes
- Fingering
- Rhythm
Playing and saying the notes and finger numbers works on note and finger skills respectively. Clapping the notes develops your rhythms skills.
Merrily We Roll Along:
Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes: Quiz
Once you’ve mastered the Merrily We Roll Along version of playing piano with color coded left hand notes, you can attempt the quiz. Be sure to say and play the notes.
Conclusion
The more you play piano with color coded left hand notes, the more you’ll gain self assurance.
Eventually, students will graduate from the color coding, including most autistic, LD, and other special needs students.
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
Glossary
Singing Rhythm Syllables in Cut Time
Are you confused about how to chant the Kodaly rhythm syllables in cut time? Do you wonder if it’s like chanting 2/4 or 4/4 syllables? Don’t worry, this post has you covered! Read more to learn about singing rhythm syllables in cut time. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Joy to the World – A Heavenly Song of Celebration
Do you want to know the words to Joy to the World? Would you like to learn how to sing or play it? In this post, you’ll get the essentials: 1) all the words to the song, 2) two videos (one for the song itself and one for easy piano), and 3) easy-to-read shape note sheet music with a sing along song track. Keep reading Joy to the World - A Heavenly Song of Celebration to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Color Coding Music for Success
Want to read music? Does your child or music student have a hard time reading notes? Color coding music notation can help. I had a student with amnesia who would forget everything she had learned from the previous lesson. However, she was able to learn beginner level piano music with hands together. Find out how color coding helps students like her. Estimated reading time 11 minutes.
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What Is an Adverb? Learn About Amazing, Adaptable Adverbs
Do you want to know how adverbs work? They are amazingly versatile words that can impact many parts of speech within a sentence. It’s critical that writers, songwriters, and poets know how to use them. Keep reading “What Is an Adverb? Learn About Amazing, Adaptable Adverbs” to find out what they are and how they work. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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