Color-coded finger patterns
The Bornoff finger patterns are an important part of my teaching as they help students visualize patterns of half steps and whole steps and chunk information into a single unit. Another wonderful thing about them is that they are transposable and can be used in any position on the fingerboard.
On my commute to work, I came up with an idea to help my students better conceptualize and apply the finger patterns to the performance of their music and etudes – color-coding!
Even though I’ve had various finger pattern diagrams enlarged and posted in my room for some time, color-coding took it to the next level. I wanted a solution that could help my students who struggle to remember which pattern to use. Now students could highlight passages in their music!
I’ve color-coded finger patterns with the following colors (from light to dark:
- 1-2 pattern = yellow
- 2-3 pattern = pink
- 3-4 pattern = orange
- “open” pattern = green
- “Spock” pattern = blue (a.k.a. the 1-2/3-4 pattern)
I found some anxious student volunteers to highlight the illustrations on my wall with the colors above. Generally, my students were excited about this new idea. I look forward to having my students highlight their music and seeing if it helps them better remember when to use the appropriate finger pattern.
Stay in touch by