Music Notation
For students with dyslexia, ADHD, visual impairments, or other cognitive disabilities, a different system of music notation can make or break their musical experience. On this page, you can explore different systems and methods of music notation that can make music more accessible for students in these situations.
NOTE: Many of the below resources came from, were shared by, or inspired by the replies on a Twitter thread begun by music education professor, Professor Nate Holder, who asked, "Is anyone thinking about or currently creating notation specifically for those with neurodivergencies?" (see thread here). Some suggestions have research to back the suggestions and some are more anecdotal in nature.
Sargam Notation
Sargam is the Indian Classical Music equivalent of solfege, and is used in Indian Classical Music to notate melodies and improvisational techniques (Learn more here). The way that music using sargam is notated is with single letters that stand for the notes and intervals in the scale (see table).
You can use this notation to simplify the way the music looks for students who may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information on a Western standard sheet of music and for students who process information on a page differently. Twitter user Pete Yelding shows how a song such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" can be notated using sargam (see below).
Song Dotting
This technique comes from the SongWorks Educators Association and can be very helpful for students who have difficulty processing the amount of information on a page of Western music. It can be used to simplify and isolate the different units of sound in music as a "stepping stone" to learning the rhythms, techniques, or melodies used in a piece of music.
Color-Coding Systems
Jon Boden's "ColourChord" System
- Though its uses are primarily choral in nature, this system of color-coding from Jon Boden can be used in your music classroom for students with dylexia, ADHD, and other cognitive disabilites that may affect focus and information processing.
Color-Coding the Piano Keyboard
This system developed by Dima Tahboub work specifically for the piano keyboard, however, using a similar system with notes on a staff, fingerings on certain instruments, or even color-coding different rhythms similarly to this system can aid your students' processing of the information they see on the page.
"Color Coding Music for Success"
This article from Success Music Studio goes into great detail about what color coding music can look like and why it is effective, as well as providing several resources and research into the science behind these types of systems. The article also contains links to specific color coding and "note shaping" methods that the author uses in their own teaching.
Lynne Phillips - Piano Teacher
Lynne Phillips is a piano instructor in the UK who specializes in teaching young students and students with disabilities. She has her own system of color-coding and various other techniques. Though her site does not explicitly share her system, it does provide an example of the types of accessibility we as music educators should be aware of and implementing.
GENERAL NOTES ABOUT COLOR-CODING MUSIC
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work with your student(s) to develop a system that makes the most sense to them (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART)
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using different colored sheets of paper can also be effective
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proportional spacing in music can aid in processing (i.e. larger spaces for longer notes in a measure)
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you can color code just note heads, just phrases, etc. or a combination of information - again, work with your student(s) to do what works best for them
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standard notation can be taught without color-coding, but it requires strategic scaffolding and an open mind
FigureNotes
FigureNotes is "a simplified visual music notation system developed in Finland in the mid-1990s for people challenged by the abstract nature of conventional music notation. The system facilitates music reading and instrument playing, thus allowing active participation in music-making. The use of Figurenotes in both educational and therapeutic settings is now spreading to other countries."
This system is a very popular resource among music education professionals and can be used in all sorts of contexts. It utilizes both colors and shapes for students to engage with music on a variety of instruments. Their website contains research and resources, such as instrument finger charts, notation guides, and more.