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How To Read Music
By Joshua Jenkins
How to read music
Learning how to read music is a difficult thing to do. It often takes years for people to understand this language of notes, bars and lines. The beauty of modern music is that it is a universal language. If you learn to read music in one country it doesn't matter where you travel, you will be able to read the music of foreign countries as well. The hardest part about learning how to read music is getting used to all of the words. There are many, many Latin words that represent different things. Take ‘forte' for example, a word which means ‘strong' and ‘loud', this is just one of a whole lot of words for you to learn. But first things first, it is always best to start from scratch.
The first thing that you should become familiar with is notes. There are various notes which each represent a different time period that the instrumentalist will hold that note for. Starting with a semi quaver (quarter note) the notes range from very short and sharp to quite long. Learning how to read music properly requires that you get hold of some manuscript (lined music paper). Have a look at the various notes and start trying to remember the value of each. The notes range from a quarter note to a full bar note (minim). They look different but have ways of joining up, depending on how persistent you are, it is only a matter of time before you become used to reading and using music.
Have a look at the sheet of music. The lines are grouped together in what is called a ‘staff'. The staffs have on them the time signature and key amongst other things. The time signature is the two numbers sitting one on top of the other, getting to know these requires formal lessons. Communicating the processes used to distinguish time signatures is impossible in writing. The Key is represented by small ‘b' or ‘#'. These marks are called sharps and flats, they are a vital tool used to understand how to read music. When there is no music playing there will be rests. The rests come in various shapes and sizes, and are very different depending on how long the rest is. You will notice letters sitting above the staffs on some sheet music. Learning how to read these is simple. The letters represent the key of the particular part of the music. If it says F#m it means that that particular piece is played in F flat minor, likewise if you read Emaj it means that it is played in E major. Understanding these letters is a matter of getting used to them, as your understanding of music increases so will your ability to read these things quicker and easier.
These are the bare basics of learning to read music. How you go about increasing your knowledge of music is up to you. I would recommend seeking formal instruction. Whether you learn how to read music by playing an instrument or not is up to you, I would personally insist you learn to read music through learning an instrument. Learning how to read music is something everyone can do. There is no easy way of learning how to read music, it is a matter of personal ambition and persistence. If you concentrate on the basics and work your way up from there you should succeed in learning how to read music.
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