Learning How to Read Music Notes is Only Half the Battle
To many, learning how to read music notes is like learning a foreign language.
Those that have learned to play a musical instrument by ear seem to have the most difficult time because they instinctively think they know the next note when it may actually read different in the music.
Reading music is only half of the battle when it comes to playing a musical instrument because of the hand-eye coordination that is necessary to read a note, then play, read a note, then play.
To those that are just starting to read music, it can seem like an impossible feat.
The C major scale is the is the first octave of notes you should learn when you are just starting out learning how to read music.
The reasoning for this is because there are no sharps or flats in the scale, unlike other scales.
The C major scale is comprised of only white notes or keys on the piano keyboard.
No matter what instrument you are learning to play, basic music reading and beginner music focuses on the C major scale.
While it may seem difficult at first, it actually gets easier as time goes on and you will start to develop better hand-eye coordination.
The bright side of putting all your efforts into learning to read music is that you will be able to play just about anything that was ever written depending on what level you are on.
As you learn sharps and flats, it will open the door to a wider range of musical styles and songs.
While you start learning additional scales, octaves and notes and what they look like, you will find that the ones you play the most often will become very easy for you because of repetition while the ones you don't play too often may still trip you up from time to time.
The key is to take your time, practice the notes that you have a hard time reading while simultaneously playing, over and over until they are embedded into your memory.
Remember playing what you read is half of the battle when learning how to read music.
Your eye sees a certain musical note and it tells your brain which finger to use and which note to play.
Until this becomes a learned habit that you can perform every time, you are going to have to repeat this step until it becomes automatic.
This is where patience is important.
Since it takes the average person 21 times of performing an action for it to become a habit, with reading music this can take many multiples of 21 to achieve these skills so you can see why it can be a difficult process.
The good thing is that it is like riding a bike.
Once you have committed it to memory the hand-eye coordination becomes automatic, so you should be able to read the music and play the appropriate note immediately, without hesitation.
Even experienced musicians can encounter problems when playing notes they don't play often, so you should not get discouraged.
Flats and sharps will be a little more difficult to learn since each one has two different note representations and every sharp note is a flat of another note, but with enough practice, they will be easy to read, too.
The important thing to remember is that it can be a frustrating process at first, but you will be able to learn how to read music notes and play them perfectly with enough time and practice.
Sticking to the basics in the beginning is the best way to ensure success.
Those that have learned to play a musical instrument by ear seem to have the most difficult time because they instinctively think they know the next note when it may actually read different in the music.
Reading music is only half of the battle when it comes to playing a musical instrument because of the hand-eye coordination that is necessary to read a note, then play, read a note, then play.
To those that are just starting to read music, it can seem like an impossible feat.
The C major scale is the is the first octave of notes you should learn when you are just starting out learning how to read music.
The reasoning for this is because there are no sharps or flats in the scale, unlike other scales.
The C major scale is comprised of only white notes or keys on the piano keyboard.
No matter what instrument you are learning to play, basic music reading and beginner music focuses on the C major scale.
While it may seem difficult at first, it actually gets easier as time goes on and you will start to develop better hand-eye coordination.
The bright side of putting all your efforts into learning to read music is that you will be able to play just about anything that was ever written depending on what level you are on.
As you learn sharps and flats, it will open the door to a wider range of musical styles and songs.
While you start learning additional scales, octaves and notes and what they look like, you will find that the ones you play the most often will become very easy for you because of repetition while the ones you don't play too often may still trip you up from time to time.
The key is to take your time, practice the notes that you have a hard time reading while simultaneously playing, over and over until they are embedded into your memory.
Remember playing what you read is half of the battle when learning how to read music.
Your eye sees a certain musical note and it tells your brain which finger to use and which note to play.
Until this becomes a learned habit that you can perform every time, you are going to have to repeat this step until it becomes automatic.
This is where patience is important.
Since it takes the average person 21 times of performing an action for it to become a habit, with reading music this can take many multiples of 21 to achieve these skills so you can see why it can be a difficult process.
The good thing is that it is like riding a bike.
Once you have committed it to memory the hand-eye coordination becomes automatic, so you should be able to read the music and play the appropriate note immediately, without hesitation.
Even experienced musicians can encounter problems when playing notes they don't play often, so you should not get discouraged.
Flats and sharps will be a little more difficult to learn since each one has two different note representations and every sharp note is a flat of another note, but with enough practice, they will be easy to read, too.
The important thing to remember is that it can be a frustrating process at first, but you will be able to learn how to read music notes and play them perfectly with enough time and practice.
Sticking to the basics in the beginning is the best way to ensure success.
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