Success Music Studio

Color Coding

 

Color Coding Music - colorful notes

 

Color Coding Music & More

The Blog Category Is Expanding:

I’ve expanded the blog category to include general special needs topics in addition to the adapted score posts.

 

The Adapted Score:

Why color code music? Color has appeared in music scores for as long as there has been music notation. Moreover, color is a proven, powerful teaching tool. George L. Rogers has shown that color coding provides an access point for LD and special needs students for score reading.

 

With color, the special needs and LD students in his study exceled at sight reading tasks. However, without the color, they were entirely unable to read the score at all.

 

Therefore, students have the opportunity to experience success and thus avoid the failure that often comes with more traditional approaches. For many of these students, success is critically important. Success helps with both self-concept and self-esteem.

 

Color Coding Posts

The cornerstone category article:

 

The posts may be read in any order, but I suggest that you read these two posts first:

 

Playing and clapping exercises:

 

Graduating from the color coding

 

The remaining posts can be read in any order you like:

 

Special Needs Posts

These posts focus on non-color-coding special needs issues:

 

Learning differences posts:

 

The previous topic lists will be updated periodically. See the post grid below for the full list and full descriptions with featured images.

 

– Geoffrey Keith

 

© 2022 Geoffrey Keith

 

Back to the Successful Music Student Blogs page

 

How to Set Up a Music Teacher’s Percussion Bag - Percussion Box

How to Set Up a Music Teacher’s Percussion Bag

Have you been thinking about keeping percussion instruments on hand for your music lessons? Do you want an idea of what should go into your bag? A percussion bag or box is useful for any music instructor. It can make the difference between happy, engaged students and pandemonium. Click “How to Set Up a Music Teacher’s Percussion Bag” for some tips to get you started. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

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What Precisely Is Asperger’s and Its Effect on Learning Music?

Do you need to know what Asperger’s is? Do you want to know how it impacts learning music? Asperger syndrome is characterized by difficulties with social situations, because interpreting non-verbal communication is challenging for them. However, people with Asperger’s will otherwise have good facility with language and good cognitive abilities. Keep reading “What Precisely Is Asperger’s and Its Effect on Learning Music?” to find out more about what it is and how it interacts with music lessons. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

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How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia - Numbers

How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia

Does your child or student have dyscalculia? Do you need help getting them to play rhythm accurately? Children with dyscalculia have struggles with math, and math and music have a lot in common. So, it makes sense that students with dyscalculia can have problems learning music. However, this post is stuffed with teaching tips that will help students learn. Keep reading “How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia” to learn multisensory strategies that will help kids of all abilities have fun playing and singing. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

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What’re Critical Fine Motor Skills for Special Needs Music - Girl with Ukulele

What’re Critical Fine Motor Skills for Special Needs Music

Do you want to know what fine motor skills are and how they impact special needs music lessons? Fine motor skills are small, precise movements and therefore are a critical component of musical instrument lessons. Gross motor skills are also important in music. However, most instruments require a high level of finger precision, which is why in today’s post we’ll mostly focus on activities to develop finger dexterity. Keep reading “What’re Critical Fine Motor Skills for Special Needs Music” to learn how to increase finger dexterity in your special needs students. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

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How to Read Basic Guitar Tab for Beginners - Guitarists

How to Read Basic Guitar Tab for Beginners

Are you passionate about playing guitar? Do you want to turbo charge your learning using guitar tab? Guitar tab is a popular music notation that can help you master guitar songs quickly and easily. Keep reading “How to Read Basic Guitar Tab for Beginners” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

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How to Read Piano Sheet Music for Beginners - Piano with Sheet Music and Roses

How to Read Piano Sheet Music for Beginners

Are you a beginner pianist and want to know how to read piano sheet music? Or are you a parent and want to figure out if your child is ready to play piano? This post covers the basics of how to read piano sheet music. In addition, it has links to practical examples so you can get an idea of what it’s like to play and read piano music. Keep reading “How to Read Piano Sheet Music for Beginners” to embark on your musical voyage. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

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How to Teach Music to Neurodivergent Students - Girl with Guitar

How to Teach Music to Neurodivergent Students

Are you a teacher with neurodiverse students? Do you need suggestions for how to best teach them? Neurodivergent and neurodiverse are non-medical terms that refer to people with non-traditional ways of thinking and learning (e.g., ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, etc.). It attempts to give dignity to individuals by looking at the whole person and avoids looking at them as a problem that needs to be fixed. Having said that, neurodiverse students will often need special teaching methods to have success in music. Keep reading “How to Teach Music to Neurodivergent Students” to learn more. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

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How to Deal with Annoying Hiccups in Music Lessons – Kid Hiccupping

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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Basic Music Notation Explained in Less Than 4 Minutes

Does music notation seem to be one big mystery? Do you want to be able to read music? Music notation can sometimes seem counterintuitive. However, you too can learn to read music. This post will help give you a quick overview of how music notation works. Keep reading “Basic Music Notation Explained in Less Than 4 Minutes” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

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