How to read sheet music: some tips for beginner musicians

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Piano music has an extremely beneficial effect on both the psychological and physical condition of a person. Unfortunately, in this age of crazy rock music and trendy electronic compositions, there is practically no place left for inspiring instrumental melodies. Meanwhile, the piano is not just an instrument, but a real living being capable of expressing almost any emotion: triumph, despair, sadness, falling in love… True masters can play in almost any style, from classical pieces to free jazz improvisations. However, each of them first took a long time to learn how to read music.

It would seem that simple at first glance, the lesson in practice requires great perseverance and attentiveness. The basics of musical literacy are, in fact, a musical staff (five horizontal stripes). Depending on the pitch of the part, it may begin with a treble or bass clef. The whole work is divided into measures (they are separated by vertical stripes to the full heightmill).

The first thing you need to know in order to understand how to read notes is that they can have different durations. Unfilled marks without "tails" are whole notes that sound throughout the entire bar. If a note has a "tail" but is still empty inside, it is called a half note. It sounds for half a beat. There are also concepts of the fourth and eighth notes - they sound even shorter, consist of a filled oval, a stick and a tail (the eighth has two tails).

The next thing to stop when learning how to read music is the so-called accidentals. We all know them since school years: flat (lowers a note by half a tone), sharp (raises a note by a half tone) and becar (cancels the previous two signs). If the signs are used in the middle of the musical text, then they are valid until the end of the current bar. If they are written next to the clefs, they remain throughout the entire composition and are canceled only if there is a backer (again, only for one bar).

Sometimes, to get the right sound, several notes are used at once to form a chord. In this case, the desired notes are located at the same level, one above the other, and you need to press them simultaneously.

However, this is only a small part of the knowledge that is needed to understand how to read music. In addition to duration, sounds can differ from each other in the nature of the sound. There are terms Staccato and Legato. The first means that you need to hit the keys quickly, the sound should be "jerky". In the second case,on the contrary, it is necessary to achieve smoothness.

As you learn the art of how to read sheet music for the piano, you will also encounter different tempos. As a rule, the required tempo is indicated at the very beginning of the piece (for example, Adagio - "slow", Moderato - "moderately", Allegro - "soon", etc.). There are special markings that show you to increase or decrease the volume of the game.

Of course, it is almost impossible to talk about how to learn to read music in one article. That is why everyone who wants to master a truly virtuoso game should at least get a good tutorial (if there is no way to visit a teacher). And, of course, do not forget to be inspired by listening to the recognized maestro of past centuries and the present.