How do I Read & Write Music With Practice Sheets?
The ability to read and write music is an essential skill for any musician that wishes to share musical ideas with other musicians. In informal musical situations it's normal for musicians to use chord charts. But when it comes to communicating a specific musical idea, those who can't read and write music are at a distinct disadvantage. There are no shortcuts when it comes to written music; even very advanced players have to start at the beginning if they want to develop the ability to read and write music. Practice sheets are a great place to start.
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Instructions
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The treble clef always sits on the stave above the bass clef. Practice drawing the treble clef. This is an important symbol; the clef indicates the register of the notes that appear on the stave. The stave, or staff as it's also known, consists of five lines and four spaces between the lines. The treble clef sits to the far left of every stave.
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Focus on the notes that sit on the clef, but note that the clef extends above and below the five lines. Memorize the notes of the treble clef. The position of the note on the stave indicates which pitch is to be played. In ascending order, the notes on the lines go as follows: E G B D F. The notes in the spaces between the lines are F A C E. There are two easy-to-remember memory aids that will help you learn which notes are where. For notes on the lines, think "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor." For notes in the spaces, remember the phrase "Look in the space and you'll see a F A C E."
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The quarter note (top, second from left) indicates that the note lasts for one beat out of four. Practice drawing a quarter note symbol. The most basic forms of music are comprised of quarter notes. The quarter note symbol tells the musician two things. It indicates that the length of the note is one beat out of four, and its position on the stave indicates which note is to be played. Draw a circle so that the bottom line of the stave runs through the middle. Now draw an upward stem that sits on the right of the circle, so that it slightly resembles the lower case letter "d." Then color in the circle so that it is solid black. For notes that are higher than the third line of the clef, the stem points downward and sits on the left of the note.
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Your practice sheets will have the stave drawn out so you can write the notes on accurately. Practice writing the notes down on your practice sheet. A music practice sheet will have lots of blank staves for you to write on. Draw your treble clef so that you or any person reading the practice knows which register you are working in. Now draw a quarter note on each line and space on the stave.
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Put the practice sheet where you can see it while playing your instrument Attempt to play a simple piece of music from your practice sheet. Most beginner-level practice sheets have basic melodies for practice. With your preferred instrument, have a go at playing one of these melodies. Once you can play this simple melody correctly, write it down on a blank stave. The process of reading, memorizing and writing is crucial to developing your music literacy.
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Tips & Warnings
Learn passages of music one bar at a time.
Always check the treble clef to see if there are any sharp or flat notes indicated. Sharps and flats written next to the treble clef are to be considered as constant throughout the passage.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit music book. manuscript. music score image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com clef de sol image by Jean-Michel POUGET from Fotolia.com Close up on Time Signature of music notation image by Da Vynci from Fotolia.com music icon set image by giovanni cardinali from Fotolia.com Music score image by c from Fotolia.com piano with music image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com
