Estimated reading time 2 minutes
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
What Is Your Definition of a Good Musician?
“What is your definition of a good musician?” Being a good musician means much more than just playing and singing. It’s also about how they affect those around them. Read more to find out what makes a good musician. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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What’s the Basic Difference Between Drop D vs Open D Tuning?
“What’s the basic difference between Drop D vs Open D tuning?” Both are popular alternate guitar tunings. However, which string notes you alter, and how you play them once you’re done, will give them very different sounds. As a bonus, I’ve also added sections on Double Drop D and DADFAD tuning. Keep reading to learn what they are, and how you play them. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Singing Exercises with Harmony
Feel embarrassed about singing out of tune? "Singing Exercises with Harmony’s" sing-along song tracks makes it easy to learn how to harmonize. The post also talks about what to listen for when harmonizing.
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Sight Singing with Rhythmic Syllables
Do you wish you could read rhythm better? “Sight Singing with Rhythmic Syllables” looks at rhythm. Also, we have sung so far in the keys of C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, and G major. In today’s singing lesson you will learn the keys of Ab, A, Bb, and B. Once again, the more keys you know, the better your reading will become. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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