Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Would you like to introduce your kid to piano? (Or are you a music teacher who has a student with learning difficulties?) Multisensory teaching methods will help! Read more to learn about playing piano with color coded left hand notes and rhythm.
Don’t have a piano? This virtual keyboard will help:
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes and Rhythm: The Hand Position
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 can use your left hand to play piano with color coded notes and rhythm, it’ll be necessary to put your hand in the right place on the instrument.
The above diagram illustrates C position for both hands. However, we’ll be focusing on playing the notes on the left side of the diagram. Use your left hand with the following fingering:
- First Finger: The thumb goes on the G (green) key
- Second Finger: The pointer finger goes on the F (pink) key
- Third Finger: The middle man goes on the E (red) key
- Fourth Finger: The ring finger goes on the D (gray) key
- Fifth Finger: The pinky goes on the C (orange) key
Students often become confused by the fingering. However, color coding the fingers will help:
Lightly Row and Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes and Rhythm
Use your left hand to play the piano with the color coded notes and rhythm. Start with the notes and fingering:
- Play and say the notes, tracking from left to right on the page.
- Then, say the finger numbers (the black numbers) while playing.
- Make sure you keep a steady pulse as you play.
Next, count and clap the rhythm:
- Red = clap
- Blue = don’t clap
- Brown = rest = opposite clap
For more info read:
I’ve created a soundtrack that demonstrates how the melody for Lightly Row will sound.
- DO NOT listen to the track before playing the song.
- Instead, listen to the soundtrack afterward to see if you played it accurately.
Once you have mastered Lightly Row, you can test yourself with the quiz provided below. Remember to play and say the notes.
Lightly Row Arrangement:
Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes and Rhythm: Notes Quiz
Final Thoughts on Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes and Rhythm
Many students find left hand sight reading more challenging. However, the more you use your left hand to play the piano with the color coded notes and rhythm, the better you’ll get at playing.
If you want to do more color coded reading, check out the other posts in the Playing Piano with Color Coding series:
- Playing the Piano with Color Coded Notes
- Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes
- Playing the Piano with Color Coded Rhythm, Fingering, and Notes
Have fun playing!
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
Glossary
I’m Confused About What Precisely D.S. al Coda Means
“I’m confused about what precisely D.S. al Coda means.” This marking is part of a class of music notation called “signs of repetition.” Some of the more advanced signs of repetition can be confusing, including this one. Keep reading to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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How Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys Work
Frustrated with your out of tune synth chords? Do you want your brass, woodwind, and string programs to sound better? It’s not only the program you select which controls how your synth sounds, the tuning has an impact as well. I created Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) to produce chords that sound better in tune than equal temperament (the piano’s tuning). Read more to learn how SET minor keys work. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
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Alliteration Meaning: Examples of Alliteration in Poetry and Songs
Do you want to know the meaning of the word alliteration? In this post, we’ll discuss how it works, including examples of alliteration in poetry and songs. Keep reading “Alliteration Meaning: Examples of Alliteration in Poetry and Songs” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Best Music Program for Three-Year-Olds
As you may already know, Geoff from Success Music Studio is an expert in multisensory teaching, teaching piano to children as young as four-years-old. However, he has recently expanded to teaching three-year-olds a pre-instrumental music program that ultimately leads into piano lessons. Keep reading “Best Music Program for Three-Year-Olds” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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