diff --git a/packages/core/color.mjs b/packages/core/color.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..faab900f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/color.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+export const colorMap = {
+  aliceblue: '#f0f8ff',
+  antiquewhite: '#faebd7',
+  aqua: '#00ffff',
+  aquamarine: '#7fffd4',
+  azure: '#f0ffff',
+  beige: '#f5f5dc',
+  bisque: '#ffe4c4',
+  black: '#000000',
+  blanchedalmond: '#ffebcd',
+  blue: '#0000ff',
+  blueviolet: '#8a2be2',
+  brown: '#a52a2a',
+  burlywood: '#deb887',
+  cadetblue: '#5f9ea0',
+  chartreuse: '#7fff00',
+  chocolate: '#d2691e',
+  coral: '#ff7f50',
+  cornflowerblue: '#6495ed',
+  cornsilk: '#fff8dc',
+  crimson: '#dc143c',
+  cyan: '#00ffff',
+  darkblue: '#00008b',
+  darkcyan: '#008b8b',
+  darkgoldenrod: '#b8860b',
+  darkgray: '#a9a9a9',
+  darkgreen: '#006400',
+  darkgrey: '#a9a9a9',
+  darkkhaki: '#bdb76b',
+  darkmagenta: '#8b008b',
+  darkolivegreen: '#556b2f',
+  darkorange: '#ff8c00',
+  darkorchid: '#9932cc',
+  darkred: '#8b0000',
+  darksalmon: '#e9967a',
+  darkseagreen: '#8fbc8f',
+  darkslateblue: '#483d8b',
+  darkslategray: '#2f4f4f',
+  darkslategrey: '#2f4f4f',
+  darkturquoise: '#00ced1',
+  darkviolet: '#9400d3',
+  deeppink: '#ff1493',
+  deepskyblue: '#00bfff',
+  dimgray: '#696969',
+  dimgrey: '#696969',
+  dodgerblue: '#1e90ff',
+  firebrick: '#b22222',
+  floralwhite: '#fffaf0',
+  forestgreen: '#228b22',
+  fuchsia: '#ff00ff',
+  gainsboro: '#dcdcdc',
+  ghostwhite: '#f8f8ff',
+  gold: '#ffd700',
+  goldenrod: '#daa520',
+  gray: '#808080',
+  green: '#008000',
+  greenyellow: '#adff2f',
+  grey: '#808080',
+  honeydew: '#f0fff0',
+  hotpink: '#ff69b4',
+  indianred: '#cd5c5c',
+  indigo: '#4b0082',
+  ivory: '#fffff0',
+  khaki: '#f0e68c',
+  lavender: '#e6e6fa',
+  lavenderblush: '#fff0f5',
+  lawngreen: '#7cfc00',
+  lemonchiffon: '#fffacd',
+  lightblue: '#add8e6',
+  lightcoral: '#f08080',
+  lightcyan: '#e0ffff',
+  lightgoldenrodyellow: '#fafad2',
+  lightgray: '#d3d3d3',
+  lightgreen: '#90ee90',
+  lightgrey: '#d3d3d3',
+  lightpink: '#ffb6c1',
+  lightsalmon: '#ffa07a',
+  lightseagreen: '#20b2aa',
+  lightskyblue: '#87cefa',
+  lightslategray: '#778899',
+  lightslategrey: '#778899',
+  lightsteelblue: '#b0c4de',
+  lightyellow: '#ffffe0',
+  lime: '#00ff00',
+  limegreen: '#32cd32',
+  linen: '#faf0e6',
+  magenta: '#ff00ff',
+  maroon: '#800000',
+  mediumaquamarine: '#66cdaa',
+  mediumblue: '#0000cd',
+  mediumorchid: '#ba55d3',
+  mediumpurple: '#9370db',
+  mediumseagreen: '#3cb371',
+  mediumslateblue: '#7b68ee',
+  mediumspringgreen: '#00fa9a',
+  mediumturquoise: '#48d1cc',
+  mediumvioletred: '#c71585',
+  midnightblue: '#191970',
+  mintcream: '#f5fffa',
+  mistyrose: '#ffe4e1',
+  moccasin: '#ffe4b5',
+  navajowhite: '#ffdead',
+  navy: '#000080',
+  oldlace: '#fdf5e6',
+  olive: '#808000',
+  olivedrab: '#6b8e23',
+  orange: '#ffa500',
+  orangered: '#ff4500',
+  orchid: '#da70d6',
+  palegoldenrod: '#eee8aa',
+  palegreen: '#98fb98',
+  paleturquoise: '#afeeee',
+  palevioletred: '#db7093',
+  papayawhip: '#ffefd5',
+  peachpuff: '#ffdab9',
+  peru: '#cd853f',
+  pink: '#ffc0cb',
+  plum: '#dda0dd',
+  powderblue: '#b0e0e6',
+  purple: '#800080',
+  red: '#ff0000',
+  rosybrown: '#bc8f8f',
+  royalblue: '#4169e1',
+  saddlebrown: '#8b4513',
+  salmon: '#fa8072',
+  sandybrown: '#f4a460',
+  seagreen: '#2e8b57',
+  seashell: '#fff5ee',
+  sienna: '#a0522d',
+  silver: '#c0c0c0',
+  skyblue: '#87ceeb',
+  slateblue: '#6a5acd',
+  slategray: '#708090',
+  slategrey: '#708090',
+  snow: '#fffafa',
+  springgreen: '#00ff7f',
+  steelblue: '#4682b4',
+  tan: '#d2b48c',
+  teal: '#008080',
+  thistle: '#d8bfd8',
+  tomato: '#ff6347',
+  turquoise: '#40e0d0',
+  violet: '#ee82ee',
+  wheat: '#f5deb3',
+  white: '#ffffff',
+  whitesmoke: '#f5f5f5',
+  yellow: '#ffff00',
+  yellowgreen: '#9acd32',
+};
+
+export function convertColorToNumber(color) {
+  // Convert color to lowercase for easier matching
+  color = color.toLowerCase();
+
+  // If the color is a hex code, convert it to a number
+  if (color[0] === '#') {
+    return convertHexToNumber(color);
+  }
+
+  // If the color is a named color, return the corresponding number
+  if (colorMap[color] !== undefined) {
+    return convertHexToNumber(colorMap[color]);
+  }
+
+  // If the color is not recognized, return null
+  return -1;
+}
+
+export function convertHexToNumber(hex) {
+  // Remove the leading '#' from the hex code
+  hex = hex.slice(1);
+
+  // Convert the hex code to a number
+  return parseInt(hex, 16);
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/pianoroll.mjs b/packages/core/pianoroll.mjs
index 16a2dc89..8e0a3877 100644
--- a/packages/core/pianoroll.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/pianoroll.mjs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under th
 */
 
 import { Pattern, toMidi, getDrawContext, freqToMidi } from './index.mjs';
+import { convertColorToNumber } from './color.mjs';
 
 const scale = (normalized, min, max) => normalized * (max - min) + min;
 const getValue = (e) => {
@@ -20,6 +21,9 @@ const getValue = (e) => {
   if (typeof value === 'string') {
     value = toMidi(value);
   }
+  if (typeof value === 'object' && value.color) {
+    return convertColorToNumber(value.color);
+  }
   return value;
 };
 
@@ -236,8 +240,9 @@ export function pianoroll({
     // .filter(inFrame)
     .forEach((event) => {
       const isActive = event.whole.begin <= time && event.whole.end > time;
-      ctx.fillStyle = event.context?.color || inactive;
-      ctx.strokeStyle = event.context?.color || active;
+      const color = event.value?.color || event.context?.color;
+      ctx.fillStyle = color || inactive;
+      ctx.strokeStyle = color || active;
       ctx.globalAlpha = event.context.velocity ?? 1;
       const timePx = scale((event.whole.begin - (flipTime ? to : from)) / timeExtent, ...timeRange);
       let durationPx = scale(event.duration / timeExtent, 0, timeAxis);
diff --git a/website/src/docs/Colors.jsx b/website/src/docs/Colors.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59f7bca0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/src/docs/Colors.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { colorMap } from '@strudel.cycles/core/color.mjs';
+import React from 'react';
+
+const Colors = () => {
+  return (
+    <div>
+      {Object.entries(colorMap).map(([name, hex]) => (
+        <div key={name} className="py-1">
+          <div className="grid gap-2 grid-cols-3">
+            <div>{name}</div>
+            <div style={{ backgroundColor: hex }}></div>
+            <div style={{ backgroundColor: name, color: hex }}>{name}</div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default Colors;
diff --git a/website/src/pages/learn/colors.mdx b/website/src/pages/learn/colors.mdx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..47a8001b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/src/pages/learn/colors.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+title: Colors
+layout: ../../layouts/MainLayout.astro
+---
+
+import { MiniRepl } from '../../docs/MiniRepl';
+import { JsDoc } from '../../docs/JsDoc';
+import Colors from '../../docs/Colors.jsx';
+
+# Colors
+
+<Colors />