When I was first learning to play clarinet and saxophone, my instructors would often tell me to look at the fingering chart printed in the back of the music book to figure out the proper hand positions for a note I was learning. This wasn’t particularly helpful advice for a visually impaired musician like me, as the small black-and-white graphics were difficult to read, and all of the graphics looked identical when placed next to each other. Overwhelmed by the visual clutter and not knowing how to modify an instrument fingering chart for low vision, I resorted to asking another person to show me how to play a note or avoiding playing the unfamiliar note entirely. Here are my tips for how to modify an instrument fingering chart for low vision, in honor of Music in our Schools Month.
Options for creating an accessible fingering chart as a hard copy
Creating a physical copy of an instrument fingering chart in an accessible format can be helpful for musicians who want something they can place on their stand or explore in a tactile format. Some ideas for how to create an accessible fingering chart include:
- Printing high resolution or enlarged copies of fingering chart diagrams or photos and placing them in a binder, scrapbook, or other folder. I recommend organizing these in chromatic order when possible.
- Modifying high resolution images of fingering chart diagrams by adding tactile labels or stickers to indicate which keys to press. This can include using different shaped dots for different sections of the instrument, or showing open vs closed keys
- Editing the page layout of a fingering chart to have fewer images or larger images on each page, and printing them for reference. A spiral-bound booklet can be used to keep pages organized, since this is a static document musicians wouldn’t need to add to over time.
- Creating a hybrid document by including QR codes that linked to descriptive videos or audio samples of notes.
While I don’t have any resources for this available, another option could be to create tactile graphics with a PIAF or Swell Machine to show different elements of the fingering chart. Since most fingering chart diagrams use bold black-and-white designs, this would translate well to tactile graphics templates.
Related links
- My Large Print Music Binder
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
- How To Create Tactile Images With Everyday Objects
- How To Modify Accessible Anatomy Graphics For Low Vision
- Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
Options for creating a digital accessible fingering chart
Creating an accessible fingering chart in a digital format provides more flexibility for musicians who want to use both visual and audio modalities for accessing information, or who prefer magnification or large text views. Digital formats may also be useful for musicians who visually attend to light and find it easier to view information presented with a backlight. Some ideas for how to create an accessible fingering chart in a digital format include:
- Creating a hyperlinked document that includes descriptions of how to position the hands for different notes, as well as options for adding sound recordings and/or videos. I’ve linked an example of an accessible flute fingering chart below.
- Organizing photos in a folder of proper hand positions for different notes, which may be easier for musicians with vision loss to understand than abstract diagrams or detailed line drawings.
- Converting a fingering chart into a digital document that the musician can independently enlarge or access on their personal device, such as an iPad that can fit on a music stand.
- Displaying instrument fingerings in a PowerPoint or Slides presentation, with the option to navigate to different sections based on octaves (include hyperlinks for navigation). Alternatively, consider creating an EPUB document with a table of contents.
I personally prefer to use a digital format because it is more portable, and I can use pinch-to-zoom to enlarge content. I find it much easier to enlarge information to a comfortable font size when it is presented in a digital format.
Related links
- Accessible Fingering Chart (fluteinfo.com)
- Tips For Reading Music On An iPad With Low Vision
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
Determining what type of graphics to use
When it comes to creating accessible fingering charts for low vision, there are a few different options for choosing graphics that will show the instrument fingerings and hand positions. The “best” option for a musician will depend on the condition that contributes to their vision loss, their level of usable vision, and personal preference.
- Photos of instrument fingerings provide a realistic reference for hand positioning, and can include multiple images to show the different angles of the instrument if needed. Ensure the instrument is placed against a solid-colored high contrast background, and that it does not blend into the background.
- Diagrams that show the instrument as a line drawing with keys/tone holes colored when appropriate can provide a high-contrast view of how fingers should be positioned and are highly detailed to mimic the appearance of the instrument.
- Some diagrams are more abstract and forego a line drawing of the instrument in favor of colored symbols/outlines of keys and tone holes. Dots are arranged in a consistent pattern, and some graphics may only show which areas should be covered, instead of showing what to cover/not cover.
- In addition, some fingering charts may also include an image of the note on a staff. These can be helpful for locating unfamiliar notes written in sheet music.
- Some musicians may not find graphics helpful at all, and prefer detailed text descriptions of how they should position their hands in lieu of or in addition to viewing visual representations of fingerings.
Regardless of which option is chosen, it is important to ensure the fingering chart images are presented in a high resolution that can be enlarged up to 400% (or per student magnification preferences) without becoming blurry or hard to read. Search engines are a great place to search for images that can be used for a fingering chart, or musicians can also take photos of themselves positioning their fingers for different notes.
Related links
Adding color to fingering charts
One technique that has really helped me is using color as a supplement to visual cues, since my color vision is intact and color labels are easier for me to see than text labels or labels that are all the same color. This is why I also prefer to print fingering charts in color instead of black-and-white. For fingering charts, this can include:
- Color-coding which tone holes or keys I need to cover with my left hand and/or right hand. This can include drawing on top of existing graphics or re-coloring diagrams
- Adding colored stickers on top of covered tone holes in a line drawing
- Editing images of hands to include different colors of nail polish for each area covered
- Highlighting areas with different colored markers or highlighters
- Inverting colors of images that are low contrast using Classic Invert or a similar tool
Some instructors will add color labels on the hands of a musician or directly on their instrument using colored masking tape or stickers. I haven’t personally used this approach with clarinet, but one of my friends uses this when teaching piano and organ.
Related links
Tips for modifying instrument fingering chart graphics for visually impaired
Want to modify instrument fingering chart graphics for musicians with visual impairments? Here are some ideas for potential workflows.
Option 1: Enlarging existing graphics, no modifications
In this case, the student can see all key elements of the graphic and read text labels, but the graphic needs to be enlarged or scaled so that it is easier to read. For creating a larger page size, I copy the image into Microsoft PowerPoint and select a custom slide size, such as 11″ x 14″. From there, I can drag the image so it expands to fit the page, and print the graphics or save them as a PDF. I talk about this more in my post “How To Make Music Accessible With Microsoft PowerPoint”, which is linked below.
For digital graphics that I don’t plan on printing out, I prefer to use my tablet for reading accessible graphics, because I can use the pinch-to-zoom gesture and position the screen close to my face or under the lined bifocal in my glasses.
Option 2: Modifying text or graphic, two-page format
For students that need to modify the text of an image to include large print or different fonts, follow these instructions to modify text in a two-page format:
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint
- Set a custom slide size of whatever paper size you need- I used 11 x 14
- Drag the image to fit on the page, taking care to avoid going outside the margins
- Write out the text in another program such as Microsoft Word- you’ll format it in step 6
- Crop the image so that only the diagram remains, and drag the image outward so that it expands to fit the page. You might need to put a white square over the remaining text
- In Microsoft Word, create a document with headings that shows the name of the note(s) as Heading 1 text, and create Heading 2 labels that show a description of hand positioning for the note, what the note looks like on sheet music, and any additional descriptions
- For graphics that have additional labels, replace the text labels on the graphic with white textboxes that have large numbers. Write the corresponding labels in the Microsoft Word document
Option 3: Changing the color scheme
For students with color deficiencies or that need higher contrast color schemes, there are a few different types of image filters that can be applied. My favorite way to replace colors is to use the Color Replace tool in the PicsArt app to change solid colors, or use the Color Picker tool in Microsoft Paint to replace colors on my computer.
To replace colors in Microsoft Paint:
- Open Microsoft Paint (which is a separate app from 3D paint)
- Open an image to modify- this works best with clip art and simple graphics
- Select the Color Picker tool, which looks like an eyedropper
- Select the color you would like to replace in the image, which will be labeled as Color 1
- Select the Color 2 box and choose the color you would like to replace Color 1 with
- Select the Eraser tool
- Right-click and drag across the color you would like to replace, which will replace the Color 1 value with Color 2. Do not left-click, as this will erase items on the screen
Option 4: Collage-style tactile graphics
Several of these fingering charts can be used as the basis for tactile graphics, including collage-style tactile graphics made from art materials and everyday objects. Some examples of tactile graphic adaptations for anatomy diagrams can include:
- Raised lines for the outlines of images/diagrams
- Tracing areas with a tactile pen, such as the Hi-Mark pen
- Using texture for shaded areas, such as rough or smooth textures to show which keys are covered, or drawing outlines around empty keys/tone holes
- Adding braille labels underneath or in lieu of printed text
- Drawing a pattern over colored areas to indicate shading/color changes
Related links
- How To Make Music Accessible With Microsoft PowerPoint
- Paper Sizes and Low Vision Accessibility
- Using The iPad Markup Tool With Low Vision
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
Adding additional multimedia to fingering charts
Accessible fingering charts don’t have to just include pictures! Here are a few more ideas for adding additional accessible media content to fingering charts:
- Include a sound recording of a note being played as either an embedded audio track, hyperlink, or QR code. I’ve included an example of a website that includes a clarinet fingering chart with audio tracks.
- Create an audio narrated image that describes the fingering chart and hand positions for an image, with the option to add a recording of the sound being played
- Show a moving gif or short video of someone playing a specific note
- Include videos of someone playing a note with detailed descriptions of how to play it
For users who prefer to access audio modalities and have an Alexa device, another option is to add instrument fingerings as part of the Custom Q&A feature available in Alexa Skill Blueprints, providing custom descriptions of proper hand positioning that users can ask for by voice.
Related links
- Clarinet Fingering Chart – Interactive with Sound and Large Images (theclarinet.net)
- Creating Audio Narrated Images For Low Vision
- Custom Q&A: Alexa Skill Blueprints (amazon.com)
More tips for how to modify an instrument fingering chart for low vision
- When teaching instrument fingerings in person, ensure the instrument is positioned against a high-contrast solid colored background, as it may be challenging for someone to see a black clarinet against black clothing for example. One of my friends would wear a solid-colored apron when demonstrating different concepts on their instrument.
- Need ideas for adapting page layouts for low vision? This post was originally written for math, but shares several ideas in Adapting Page Layouts: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Looking for more posts on music? Browse Arts And Music Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
Published March 11, 2020. Updated August 2024