Did you know that less than 60 percent of people know how to read music? Reading sheet music is vital for learning how to play a number of instruments in a beautiful manner. Playing by ear is a great way to start, but playing the piano is much easier when you’re reading notation.
It looks intimidating when you dive into the symbols on sheet music, but it’s much easier to read music notes than you’d think. The good news is that you’ve found a great place to learn some of the basics when it comes to reading musical notation while playing an instrument.
Keep reading this article to learn more!
View Sheet Music as a Language
Sheet music is a written language that gets used to communicate how to play the piano and other instruments in a certain way. Professional musicians read sheet music and musical notation the same way that book lovers read a novel. It also allows the desired sound of the piece to come through when you learn to read music notes like a language.
It’s tricky to learn how to sound out the sheet music when you first learn to read music, but practice makes perfect! Attending the Sloan School of Music will help you read music in no time.
Learn the Basic Symbols
Reading notation is also a lot like learning math. You need to learn the basic symbols when it comes to music notes before you can add additional layers to the mix. Start by focusing on the most important symbols as a way to understand the overall idea of how the music should sound when playing.
Count Silently While Reading
Counting in a silent fashion while you read music will help you keep the timing when you’re first learning. You can also get some eighth notes in while playing in this fashion since your timing allows for it. Tapping your foot is another helpful option for keeping time while playing the piano or guitar.
Practice Reading
A great tip for learning how to read music is to take some time each day to read sheet music without playing your instrument. You can sing the notes rather than play your preferred instrument. It will make it easier to get the timing of the music when you’re first learning.
Don’t Rush
It’s a bad idea to pile on too much information at one time. The best approach for learning to read music is to take it one step at a time and master different parts of it before bringing it all together. If you want to speed up the process then you should consider downloading mobile apps to get some extra practice.
Start Your Journey to Read Music Today
Learning to read music is a lot like learning a new language, but you need to be patient since it will take a lot of time before you’re playing the piano off of complex sheet music. Take time to practice reading musical notation without your instrument and learn how to count silently as you read or play the music notes. Always start by learning to read the basic music notes.
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