A Keyshot can be as simple as a triad or more complex such as an extended chord as you see here
So what’s this thing called a Keyshot? It’s likely that if you’ve ever read any kind of piano or keyboard instructional material, you’ve noticed keyboard diagrams that have some kind of markings that illustrate notes or chords. It’s a very straightforward way to denote music on the keyboard because there’s no dots to translate. You just play what you see.
In that spirit of simplicity, the Keyshot was created but with a twist. Instead of just black and white dots that indicate what notes to play, those dots are multi-colored for a very specific purpose. Just as a key of music has a numbered sequence, (aka the numbering system) each color represents a number in that sequence. There’s also a chord symbol that is part of the Keyshot as an additional point of reference.
The 7 different colors of Color Score
Ok, what’s the big deal about representing each note in a key of music with a different color? As I pointed out earlier, there’s no medium with a keyboard diagram that shows you specifically what notes to play. No translating dots, in other words. So the distinguishable difference is the colors themselves. Color is a visual language that conveys information without having to read. I hold the belief that when learning any physical activity (football, sewing, playing piano) requires visual instruction. Sure, there is a such thing as playing piano by ear, but only after you’ve developed the faculties of physical ability on the instrument. You have to put your hands on the instrument and play the right notes.
Just a simple keyboard diagram is a more powerful tool than music notation to learn chords with because one will tend to recognize chord shapes when using them consistently. The colors add another dimension. Colors are recognized instantly and they convey the structure of the chord(s).
My favorite analogy of this concept is a traffic light. You only have three colors but each one requires a specific physical response and that response must be enacted in an instant. It is a trained neurological response. The colors and keyboard diagrams combined that make up the Keyshot make it a very powerful learning tool. The other side of the Keyshot format are Noteshots. Click here and get a free Color Notes Ezine Subscription.
