How to Read Music

Reading sheet music is very easy. It's playing the instrument that's hard but even that's not that hard, just practice you'll get it. Unfortunately, now-a-days, a lot of people use tabs... wimps. Anyone can do this (playing an instrument). Find one you like and practice.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A few minutes
• Instrument
• Metronome (they really help)

1. 
   The Treble clef is on top and Bass clef is on bottom

   The basic thing you need to know about music is, that it uses letters to correspond to the note that you are talking about, A,B,C,D,E,F,G. If you can remember that the Treble clef circles the G line or, E-G-B-D-F (Every good boy does fine) you'll be able to read sheat music, Treble clef any way.

2. "Hey but wait midwest, I play the bass...", hold on there, its ok. The Bass clef is just as easy! It uses the same seven notes, they're just in different places. If you can remember that the line between the two dots is F or, G-B-D-F-A (Good boys do fine always) you'll do fine.

3. 
   A bar line is what seperates the measures

   One of the first things you need to know is that a measure breaks up notes into sections. The measure stops at the line that goes threw the staff. This is called a bar line.

4. 
   A sharp

   Here is the first hard part, sharps, flats, and naturals. The pound looking shape is a sharp, and the little b is a flat. The other looks like a square with two lines coming off of it (one on the top left and one on the bottom right), this is a natural sign.
   The sharp raises the note a 1/2 step, the flat lowers it a 1/2 step, and the natural returns it to a regular note. (If you were to look at the key board on a piano you will see that "B" and "E" do not have a sharp key, an "E" sharp is actually an "F", and a "B" is a "C". As with "B" and "E" and sharps, the "F" and "C" keys do not have a flat. "F" flat is an "E" and "C" flat is a "B". Just a little extra info.)
   Sharps and flats can be used in two ways, one you can put it next to the clef, before the time signeture. This will make that note sharp or flat throughout the whole song, unless there is a natural sign in front of the note. Two, you can use it to make a note sharp or flat for a single count, this is done by placing the symble right before the note.

5. 
   A 4/4 time signature

   "Hey, but hold on, what was that you were saying about a time signature?" A time signature tells you two things, (one) how many and (two)what kind of notes, per meassure. The top number means theres 4 quarter notes to a measure of four counts. It could be, 4/4, 4/8, 4/16, ect., we are going to stick to 4/4 thou.

6. 
   The different notes and rests

   Think about notes this way, 1 whole, 2 halfs, 4 quarters, 8 eigths, 16 sixteenths ect., Or 1 whole note, 2 half notes, 4 quarter notes, 8 eigth notes, 16 sixteenth notes ect. (Step 5 starting to make sense?)
   The basic time signeture is 4/4, (it could also be represented by a "c" shape). With 4/4, use your metronome or tap your foot and simotaneusly play one note for every number. That would be a measure of quarter notes.
   With a 4/4 time signature, you could have one whole note, (hold the note for four counts), two halfs (hold each note for two counts), or a combanation of halfs, quarters, eights, or sixteenths. Stick to quarters or more to make it easy.

7. 
   Notes and rests

   Now you've got to take a breath some time, and those bars and wierd little lines are the perfect place. These are called rests and they work the same way as notes.
   If in a 4/4 measure you have a half note and a right side up bar next to it you would, play a note for two counts and rest for two counts. The upside down bar, is a whole rest or rest for four counts. The right side up bar is a half rest, two counts, and the flame looking line is a quarter rest or rest for one count.

8. 
   The end of the song is represented by two bar lines

   When you come to the end of the song there will be a bar line with a fatter one behind it. This is the end of the song.

9. So there you go with out going to deep and completely confusing you. You can get by and play some stuff off of this. The best thing to do is get lessons and have someone teach you but, you could always just learn yourself, just practice. Try different instuments, personaly I could never play the drums, guitar, violen, or trombone but, I play the bass, piano, (and in grammer and high school) the clarinet and corenet. You just got to find the one for you.

Tips & Warnings

• This is basicly the bare minumum you need to know. There is still a lot (tons) to learn, buy a beginers song book and go from there.

Resources

• Online metronome
• A helpful website

[MariM]

on 1/13/2009 That is alot to take in. You do however explain it very well.

[tjhelms]

on 1/11/2009 very informative!!!!

[Mitestarossa]

on 1/10/2009 Excellent, detailed information!