The present invention comprises a method of instructing a performer on the hand manipulations to make to play a piece of music. The invention includes a representation. The representation includes at least one time line which represents the elapse of time during the piece of music. Each time line is marked with beat indicia which indicate on the time line the occurrence of a beat in the music and indicia which mark the transition between bars. Symbols carry instructions on where the fingers are to be placed to define "home" keys, and other symbols carry instructions as to which fingers are to strike a key during a beat.