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Table of Contents
Why Use Color Coded Hand Icons for Music Learning?
Does your student have a problem telling the right hand from the left? Many special needs students have problems with left hand/right confusion. On piano this can be a real issue. Read more to learn about color coded hand icons for music learning.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Hand Icons
Hand Icons used in this post (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.
Many students do not know their left hand from their right hand. Have the student make an L with the left hand. (The right hand just makes a corner.) This mnemonic helps many students remember the left hand, which then allows them to tell the hands apart.
Simple, uncolored hand icons placed next to the clefs may be enough for some students. However, other students benefit from color coded hand icons for music learning.
Color Coded Hand Icons for Musical Scores
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
This example shows the placement of the color coded hand icons in the musical score next to the clefs. The green hand icon goes next to the color coded G clef. The pink hand icon goes next to the color coded F clef.
Each hand icon has the finger numbers written in to help the student with fingering. However, some students will need to have their fingers color coded to correctly finger the music.
In piano music, RH stands for right hand and LH for left hand. Add RH and LH to the hand icons to reinforce the meaning of these terms.
Color Coding the Player’s Hands to Match the Color Coded Hand Icons in the Musical Score
Color code the player’s hands so they match the color coded hand icons next to the musical clefs. The pink and green wrist bands help with left and right hand confusion. The right hand has a green band and the left hand has a pink band. I bought girl’s colored hairbands at CVS and repurposed them as multisensory tools.
Conclusion
Using color coded hand icons for music learning is particularly important for special needs piano students. Some students will also need their fingers and hands color coded as well.
Look for where the students get confused and teach to their needs. The next color coding post discusses color coding the clefs. Until next time.
© 2020 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
How to Deal with Annoying Hiccups in Music Lessons
Have your music lessons been disrupted by hiccupping students? Do you want to know how to quickly get the hiccups stopped so that you can get your lessons back on track? Hiccups can be really annoying in music lessons because you’re on the clock and the student is getting distracted by “hic, hic, hic.” Keep reading “How to Deal with Annoying Hiccups in Music Lessons” to learn the three most common hiccups treatments so you can get back to teaching music. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Singing Rhythm Syllables in 2-4 Time
Do you have a hard time sight singing rhythm in time signatures other than 4-4? 2-4 gets used a lot in marches, so you often find it used in patriotic songs, making it worth learning. Read more to learn about singing rhythm syllables in 2-4 time. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Lyric Writing Tools for You
Do you find yourself falling into ruts in your songwriting, making your song lyrics boring or repetitive? Help is on the way! In today’s post, you will read about the best lyric writing tools for you to buy. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
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What’s the Difference Between Practice and Play on an Instrument?
Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between practicing and playing? Practicing will be a important part of your growth as a musician. According to the “New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,” studies have found that the best pianists and violinists needed 10,000 hours of practice to master their instruments. Not that you need 10,000 hours to start playing decently, but the master musicians do show us the importance of practicing. So, do practicing and playing get the same results? Read more to learn, “What's the difference between practice and play on an instrument?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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