by Tamara Haddock

Created on: December 27, 2010   Last Updated: February 03, 2012

 Looking at the complex symbols on a music sheet can be a scary moment. Learning to read music is not as difficult as it seems.

Start off simply. When first starting out there is no reason to know every detail of the sheet, learn the basic layout first. This part is easy. The title is at the top, the composer is usually below or to the side, then there is the ledger lines, the actual music itself fills these lines. Every song written will fall somewhere on the scale represented by those few lines. Find the sheet music for Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star or a similar piece in which the tone and notes are so deeply ingrained that it is second nature to change pitch correctly. While looking at the music sing the piece, the words will be at the bottom of the line, see how the notes flow with the song. Not every song is so easy to visually follow but this will give a basic idea of how it works.

Learn the scale. FACE, are the blank spaces and EGBDF fall on the line. A simple anagram will help for the second one. “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge”.

Notes are a little more complicated. The shape of the note tells how long to play it for. It is best to keep a reference sheet to check if you forget what a specific note means.

Using what references and resources are readily available reading basic music pieces becomes easy. When it comes time to learn to read music there are many options available.

The Internet is the easiest place to start. Online, there is a wealth of information on sheet music, everything from sites designed to teach the parts of the music, to places to test your comprehension, to download-able sheet music for classic songs. There are even online music classes that can be taken.

Books can be found in music stores, libraries,  and bookstores, and many contain both explanations and sheet music to practice.

Classes to learn to read sheet music are available in almost every school if the person wanting to learn attends public school. They follow a set curriculum and usually can fully cover teaching to read the sheet over the course of a semester. If the person wanting to learn is out of school, many music stores offer lessons or have cards available for individuals willing to give music lessons. However, those are usually related not only to learning to read music, but also for learning to play an instrument at the same time.

There are some DVDs that teach how to read music. Before buying however it is a good idea to read customer reviews as some can be confusing, or work on the assumption that the person watching it has a basic understanding of music theory.

If trying to learn, it is a good idea to ask any friends that know how to read music to offer tips. They may not have a complete understanding, but they can tell what parts they had trouble with and how they got past them.

The best way to learn to read music is the same with learning anything else. Figure out your learning style and practice in a way that is tailored to it. Don't be afraid to ask for help and check out all the different resources until you find one that works for you.

Learn more about this author, Tamara Haddock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.