FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions) - Musical Colors
About the Musical Colors® System
Q: What is Musical Colors®?
Musical Colors® is a visual music color system that assigns the 7 natural colors across the 12 musical notes in Western music. Color-coded note sticker guides are placed directly on the playing surfaces of musical instruments so musicians can see every note, scale & chord visually, without needing to memorize abstract note names. The system was developed by award-winning composer Michael John Wiley in 1991 at the University of Arizona and has been refined over 30 years.
Q: How is Musical Colors® different from other music learning tools or apps?
Most music learning tools, apps, books, and chord charts exist away from your instrument. You have to look at a screen or a chart, process the information, and then translate it to your hands. Musical Colors® products place the information directly on your musical instrument so your eyes, hands, and brain can all work together in the same place at the same time. There is no translation step, it’s automatic, which is why the learning curve drops so dramatically from the first session.
Q: Who is Musical Colors® designed for?
The system is designed for everyone: beginners who are just starting, children learning their first instrument, self-taught musicians who have gaps in their theoretical fretboard knowledge, music educators who need effective classroom teaching aids, intermediate players who are stuck, and experienced musicians who want a deeper visual reference for composition and improvisation. The sticker guides have been used by players ranging from age 5 to 70+.
Q: Are Musical Colors’ Stickers Guides based in science?
Yes. The color-to-note assignments in the Musical Colors® system are based on a mathematical formula that directly connects audible sound frequencies (in hertz) to visual color frequencies (in nanometers). The full scientific explanation, including the formula and its derivation from the work of scientists like Helmholtz and Newton, is detailed on the Science page and fully chronicled on the History page.
Instrument Compatibility and Sizing
Q: Which instruments do the Musical Colors® sticker guides cover?
Note Sticker Guides are currently available for Guitar (6-string and 12-string), Bass Guitar (4-string), Ukulele (soprano, concert, tenor), Piano keyboard instruments (from 25 to 88 keys), Violin, Banjo, Mandolin, and Pitched Percussion instruments like Crotales, Hand Bells, Hand Chimes, Tubular Bells, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Steel Pan, Handpan & Tongue Drum. All are available in the Musical Colors® shop.
Q: How do I know which guitar fretboard note sticker guides to order?
Measure the width of your guitar neck at the nut, the small piece at the top of the neck where the strings rest. Slim neck guides fit necks between 41 and 46mm. Wide neck guides fit necks between 47 and 52mm. The product page also specifies compatibility with full-size, ¾, and ½ size guitars and both 6-string and 12-string instruments.
Q: Do the piano stickers fit digital keyboards as well as acoustic pianos?
Yes, for instruments with full-size standard keys only. If your keyboard has mini keys, common on some compact synthesizers, please contact Musical Colors® before ordering to confirm fit. Select the guide that matches your key count: 25, 49, 61, 76, or 88 keys.
Q: Are left-handed versions available?
Yes. Guitar sticker guides are available in both right-hand and left-hand orientation. Select your picking hand before checkout, and the sticker layout will be configured accordingly.
Installation and Sticker Safety
Q: Will the stickers damage my instrument?
No. Every Musical Colors® sticker is made from thin polypropylene with an acid-free adhesive that is safe on lacquered, satin, and raw wood finishes. They will not scratch the surface or leave excessive adhesive residue when removed correctly by following the included installation and removal instructions.
Q: How do I install the stickers correctly?
Each order includes a printed installation instruction sheet. The general process involves cleaning the playing surface, aligning the sticker sheet to the correct position, and pressing the stickers down firmly from one end to avoid air bubbles. Guitar and other fretboard sticker guides align to fret positions, piano sticker guides go on the back top face of white keys and overlap on the back side and top face of black keys, violin stickers align with established sizes of fingerboards and fit together like a puzzle, and percussion instrument sticker guides are placed directly on resonating surfaces.
Q: Do the stickers affect playability or how the instrument sounds?
No. The stickers are thin enough that they do not raise the string height on fretted instruments, affect key movement on keyboards or resonant surfaces. They are mostly placed on the playing surface only, not on any part of the instrument that could affect resonance, string vibration, or acoustic output.
Q: How long do the Note Sticker Guides last?
With regular use, the sticker guides can be durable and long-lasting. Heavy daily use may cause some wear over time though, particularly on fretted instruments where fingers press strings directly onto the sticker guide material. Durable replacement stickers are available through the shop.
Learning and Music Theory
Q: Do I need to know how to read sheet music to use Musical Colors®?
No. The system is specifically designed for musicians who initially want a more intuitive, visual path into music. The included Notes Playbook trifold provides a starting framework using color rather than traditional notation. That said, the color system also complements traditional music reading. Many students find that learning to see notes by color first makes reading standard notation easier later.
Q: How quickly will I see results?
Most users report being able to identify musical notes visually within the first session. Scale patterns and chord shapes become quickly recognizable within the first week of regular practice. The rate of progress beyond that depends on the frequency of practice. Still, the consistent feedback from customers is that the color system removes the biggest early barrier, not knowing where notes are, almost immediately, and how they all fit together to make music.
Q: Can Musical Colors® help me understand music theory, not just play notes?
Yes. Because the same color or pair of colors is assigned to the same note everywhere on the instrument, you begin to see the relationships between notes naturally, how certain colors always appear together in a scale, how a chord is built from specific colors, and how moving from one key to another shifts the color pattern in a predictable way. This is visual music theory in practice, and it builds genuine musical understanding rather than just mechanical note playing.
Q: Can color blind musicians use Musical Colors®?
Musical Colors® is actively developing visually adapted sticker guides for musicians with Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, and Achromatopsia. Visit the Optics page to learn more, see the adapted color swatches, and provide feedback to help shape the development of accessible products to come.
The Playground Membership
Q: What is the Musical Colors® Playground?
The Playground is a monthly membership that gives access to an expanding library of over 150 color-coded scales and chords, including exotic and international scales, interactive fretboard tools like the modulating Circle of Fifths, developing music education curricula, tutorial videos, and exclusive alternate tuning sticker products. It also includes discounted pricing on all shop products.
Q: How much does the Playground membership cost?
The Playground membership is $4.99 per month and can be cancelled at any time. There are no contracts or commitments.
Q: What is the Playground Mastermind?
The Playground Mastermind is an application-based higher-level program for musicians who want to take their fretboard understanding to the next level with direct guidance from Musical Colors® Fret Wizard. If accepted, members receive a free one-year Playground subscription. Applications are reviewed individually. Visit the Membership page for details.
Q: Do I need the sticker guides to benefit from the Playground?
While the physical sticker guides and the Playground membership complement each other powerfully, the Playground’s digital resources, scales, chords, and interactive tools , are useful independently. However, the full benefit of the system is realized when the digital learning in the Playground is physically applied through the color-coded note sticker guides on your musical instrument.