Learning to Read Music 🎶at Home
The Beginning: 🎷
Everything has a beginning. And when it comes to music, it’s never quite fair to buy an instrument and let it sit unused for years. If you're serious about playing, the first step I would recommend is learning how to read music, it's the foundation that opens the door to truly understanding and enjoying any instrument.
Back in my student days in the UK, I always had a desire to learn a musical instrument. Over time, I bought several, trying to find the one that resonated most with me. Eventually, I settled on the piano (keyboard), even though it was considerably more expensive than the others. There was something about the piano that felt complete and expressive.
However, life has its way of reshuffling priorities. As we kept moving from one place to another, I never had a proper chance to settle down and dedicate time to learning. My Yamaha keyboard remained boxed and stored away, first in a paid storage facility in Feltham, then later in Bracknell.
It wasn’t until we moved into our flat in Reading, Berkshire, that we finally brought all our belongings home, including the keyboard. Yet, even after it was set up in our living room, I still hadn’t begun to learn. It wasn’t until recently that I made the decision to finally sit down and start my musical journey, a long-overdue beginning, but a meaningful one nonetheless.
Why Learn to Read Music? 🎶
Before I began learning to play the piano, I quickly realised something important: I needed to understand the language of music. That meant learning how to read musical symbols and, most importantly, how to interpret the notes written in music books and sheet music.
Just like with any other subject, having a good book can make all the difference when starting from scratch. Fortunately, I had already purchased a few helpful books on music theory and piano playing some time ago. So, I began by going through those books and practicing the basics. As I mentioned earlier, before you dive into learning any musical instrument, it’s incredibly beneficial, even essential, to learn how to read music.
Of course, some people learn by ear, and I’ve tried that myself. While it can be useful, I eventually hit a wall. To play a wider range of music styles and pieces and to play them well, you must learn how to read music. It opens up a whole world of musical possibilities.
One key thing to understand is that learning to read music doesn’t require you to already know how to play an instrument. In fact, it’s the other way around, reading music will help you learn and play an instrument much more effectively. Whether you're interested in classical, romantic, pop, jazz, or even rock, knowing how to read music will make your journey smoother and more enjoyable.
Even if your goal is to sing in a choir or join a music group, being able to read music will give you a major advantage.
Of course, learning to read music is a topic too broad to cover in one short article. But I’ll be sharing some key points and tips in upcoming posts. In the meantime, I highly recommend investing in a good book on music reading and piano playing. You can find excellent resources on Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell, or even at your local bookstore.
Music Notes and Key Concepts 🎵
Like any new skill, learning music has its easy parts and its challenges. Many beginners find that rhythm and key recognition are among the more difficult aspects when first learning to read music. One of the foundational concepts is understanding pitch, the distinction between high and low sounds as well as the duration of each note.
Music is written using a system called the stave (or staff), which consists of five horizontal lines. Notes are placed on these lines and in the spaces between them to indicate different pitches. When needed, the stave can be extended using ledger lines above or below to represent notes that fall outside the standard range.
Musical notes are named using the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. These repeat in a cycle across the full range of pitches. To properly identify each note, we rely on clefs, which act as reference points on the stave. The two most commonly used clefs are:
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The Treble Clef (used for higher-pitched instruments and voices)
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The Bass Clef (used for lower-pitched instruments and voices)
While there are other types of clefs, these two are the most essential for beginners, especially for those learning to play the piano, which uses both treble and bass clefs simultaneously.
To read music effectively, it’s important to understand several key concepts beyond just the notes themselves. These include rhythm and beat, tunes, major and minor scales, as well as sharps and flats. You’ll also want to become familiar with major and minor chords, which form the foundation of many songs.
Equally important is knowing the various music symbols that you’ll encounter on the page. This includes the stave, ledger lines, treble and bass clefs, and note values such as semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavers, and semiquavers. You’ll also come across dotted notes, beamed notes, time signatures, key signatures, and symbols like ties and slurs that affect how notes are played.
Becoming comfortable with all of these elements will make reading and playing music a much smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Music Periods
Music history is divided into different periods, each with its own unique style and characteristics. Among these, four major periods stand out:
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Baroque (1600–1750): The term “Baroque” means “bizarre” or elaborate, reflecting the period’s ornate and complex musical style. Baroque music is formal and intricate, often featuring rich textures and dramatic contrasts. Some of the most famous composers from this era include Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Arcangelo Corelli.
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Classical (1750–1830): In contrast to the emotional expressiveness of later periods, Classical music is characterized by balance, clarity, and restraint. It focuses more on structure and harmony rather than overt emotional expression. Renowned composers of this period include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Joseph Haydn.
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Romantic (1830–1900): This period marked a shift towards emotional depth and personal expression in music. Romantic composers sought to convey powerful feelings and stories through their compositions. Famous figures from this era include Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt, and Franz Schubert.
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Contemporary (20th century–present): The contemporary period encompasses a wide range of evolving styles and genres. Music from this time reflects innovation, experimentation, and the blending of traditional and modern elements.
In summary, I’ve briefly outlined the key points of learning to read music, introduced the main music periods, and highlighted some of the most famous composers from each era. Understanding how to read music opens the door to playing compositions from any period on any instrument, as music notation is a universal language.
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An excellent article.
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