Best way to learn how to read music

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping that ye can help me with this (this isn't for a child,this is for me! )

I have had keyboard lessons over the years but haven't done any in ages. Unfortunately I find that I'm not able to listen to a song and then automatically play it nor can I read sheet music and be able to play it instantly-I seem to have to be trained how to play a song iyswim, so therefore I don't end up playing that often when I wish I could motivate myself to play more (I even already have sheet music books from my favourite artists but I find them too hard to play )

So I was thinking about writing out flashcards that would have the note on one side and then the name of it on the other side. I was going to do these myself but I'm too lazy and don't have the time but I've realised that they sell them on Amazon.

So I was wondering if any of ye would be able to advise me on the best set to get so that I can improve at playing the keyboard and reading sheet music?

Sorry for this long lost and sorry if it's in the wrong section, but thanks in advance to anyone who answers me!

I bet you can get an app for that. Have a look at the Memrise app (free) in the music section - it's not just for languages. (For anyone else reading this, there are some theory courses too). The way it works is that the ones you get right you see less often than the ones that you get wrong.

I taught myself aged 6yo in one evening for the treble clef basic notes.

I wanted to play a new tune on my recorder, and always used to get dm to write the notes underneath. Dm was tutoring downstairs, so I decided to do it myself by looking back on music she'd done that to.
I was so pleased with working it out I continued and did it for other pieces. By the end of the hour she was tutoring I knew the basic ones through the treble clef.

I suspect if you do similar you'll pick it up quicker.

I can't do base clef though as I've never needed it (played violin). I can work it out from middle c downwards slowly.

I am not sure how knowing the name of the note would help - what matters is being able to see a note written on paper, and then find the note on the keyboard, surely?

The best approach I think would be to buy a beginner's book and work through that. There are loads of basic piano methods that teach the treble and bass clef, and which you could use on a keyboard.

Learning to read music well is all about practice. Once you have learnt how to read the notes, get hold of lots of simple music (there is lots of beginner piano music available on line) and play it on your keyboard. The more music you play, the easier it will become.

The "Flashnote" app is quite good for this - although you have to pay for it. You can set it to practise the notes you need - both treble and bass clef. It's meant for kids but good for adults too I think. It also has short videos to watch to learn the notes. I think there are also apps specifically for keyboard which may be more helpful.

Thanks all!

I'd prefer to get actual cards or a book instead of an app as I spend enough time on my phone as it is!

Mistigri that's what I meant!

Theres quite a few sight reading apps OP. Sight Reading by Super Kiddo is good as you can set you key, difficulty etc. Theyre really useful as you can just sit and play it as a 'game' amd youd be amazed how quickly simple repetition soon sinks in.

Also, dont forget that most playing is done by muscle memory, the sheet music simply being a memory prompt. So learning a piece slowly then speeding up is the way forward, ensuring accuracy is correct before goung quicker. I can assure you, no concert pianist sits down and simply follows the 'dots'. Keep at it and well done you .

Don't worry too much about the 'names' of notes - try and get used to seeing its position on the stave, and relate that to the appropriate key on the keyboard.

What types of music are you trying to play, and are you aiming to read bass and treble clefs, or are you just doing treble clef and chord symbols for the left hand?

They are really two different approaches, and depending what type of music you are aiming for you can concentrate on the method you prefer: there are books and on-line tutorials for both methods, and you can combine the two, but that could get confusing:

if you are tackling Bass and Treble, remember they are NOT two separate entities, but each is a continuation of the other:

www.essential-music-theory.com/grand-staff.html

or learn from Chord Symbols:

www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Keyboard-Player-Bk-1/dp/0711980772?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Ferguson ideally I'd be able to play both the treble clef and bass just by simply looking at any type of music,but realistically that won't happen so my preference would be to be able to play both the treble clef and bass for modern pop songs-Taylor swift and Katy perry are my favourite singers but I love any of that kind of music

Hi again

Pop songs (of almost any era) are quite difficult, because so much is 'enhanced' by the production methods, and a 'piano' score of the same song will sound very different from the studio original.

What sort of instrument do you have? Digital piano, 'real' acoustic piano, or Keyboard with rhythms and accompaniments?

Does my link to the 'Grand staff' (stave) make sense to you? So, if you think of the Treble cleff, 'middle C' will be on a 'ledger'' line, below the stave. The next C, going up (higher) is in 'space'.

It is difficult at first, but I'll try and come back tomorrow, to see how you get on.

www.musictheory.net/lessons/10

I have had a keyboard (not a digital piano-one from Argos that has sound effects and that) since Christmas 2010 and started lessons in early 2012 and finished them around June 2014 or so and have occassionally played it on and off since then

Unfortunately since I'm in my last year of school and have big exams coming up in June,I'm not going to have much time to practice playing or read lots of books/online notes etc-that's why i thought a little set of flashcards that show the name of the note and where it is on a stave and therefore a keyboard would help me be able to read music quicker

This is a good intro -

I've just looked at the link TheWeeWitch sent you, and if you can follow it, and gradually practise it, you should be able to get started playing simple music.

It seems to me you are making this more difficult than it really is!

If you can work out, or remember, where middle C is, and then work out where all the other Cs are (in Treble and Bass clefs) that is a good starting point.

Normally middle C will be played with the Right Hand Thumb, and that is numbered (1). So the first five notes - C D E F G will be finger numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Practise going up and down those five notes, at an even speed and not too fast. Later on you can learn how to 'finger' the Scale of C, if you don't already know.

Another question: is your Keyboard full size keys, do you know how many there are (often 61), and do you know the Model number?

If you can just practise ten minutes a day will be good. Later on, I will suggest some inexpensive books that will be useful to have.

Ferguson I know where each note is on the keyboard and it's name, it's more a case that if I see a note written down on a stave I don't recognise the unusual ones so that's why I thought it I could get flashcards with the picture of the note on one side and its name on the other side iyswim

Ferguson sorry I didn't get to answer your questions about the type of keyboard I have-I i have added some pictures that might explain it better than my description but my parents got it in Argos (and it seems to be own brand) in late 2010 for me, I think it is a full sized keyboard but obviously not as big as a piano and the keys are the full width but are very thin from top to bottom

But if you have to LOOK AT or THINK ABOUT your flash cards you are introducing another step that isn't really needed, and that will hold back.

From the pictures, it looks like your Keyboard has lots of sounds, and I would, guess lots of rhythms and accompaniments. Do you use them, and do you know how to make most of the features work?

I will send you a PM in a few days, but meanwhile here is book that you ought to get as it will clarify lots of things, and is one of the most useful inexpensive books:

.abrsm.org/shop/prod/Taylor-Eric-The-AB-Guide-to-Music-Theory-Part-I/598230

I don't really use the features on it as I just want to be able to play it like a normal piano iyswim

Thanks for the book link,I'll look into getting that

I messed up the link, so I'll try again:

shop.abrsm.org/shop/prod/Taylor-Eric-The-AB-Guide-to-Music-Theory-Part-I/598230

I will try to come back in a few days.