Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
“Why am I so bad at reading sheet music? How can I learn to read better?” At least part of the problem rests with the music notation itself. Don’t worry, I can give you some tips to help you read music! Read more to learn why you struggle with reading sheet music and what you can do about it.
This article uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Why Am I So Bad at Reading Sheet Music? Because of the Counter Intuitive Nature of Music Notation.
- “Why am I so bad at reading sheet music?” It may be less about you and more about the notation.
- Siu-Lan Tan found music notation to be counter intuitive for non-musicians, and by extension, new musicians. If fact, the subjects in the study thought the whole note should be held the shortest, because it looked hollow. Conversely, they thought the 32nd note should be held the longest, because it looked darker and had more projections.
- Besides the counter intuitive aspects of the notation, a musician needs to know about half a dozen or so rhythmic symbols. Also, they’ll need to put them into the context of the meter to effectively execute the rhythm. This can be challenging. Likewise, there will be challenges for reading notes as well.
- Color coding the rhythm and notes greatly simplifies the music and helps struggling and reluctant readers to be able to read music. Likewise, shape notes will help vocalists to sight sing.
- You can use these multisensory strategies as a bridge to music literacy. However, the reading aids can be phased out over time. For color coding and shape note resources, see the next section.
Why Am I So Bad at Reading Sheet Music and How Can I Do Something About It?
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
“Why am I so bad at reading sheet music and what can I do about it?” I recommend that instrumentalists color code the score:
- Playing the Piano with Color Coded Notes
- Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes
- How to Color Code Guitar Tab
- Color Coding Music for Success
Vocalists should try sight singing using shape note solfege:
- Shape Note Sight Singing Success
- Sight Singing with Solfege
- Singing with the Kodaly Rhythmic Syllables
I use these strategies when working with LD and special needs music students. However, they also work great for struggling typical learners too.
Concluding Thoughts to “Why Am I So Bad at Reading Sheet Music?”
“Why am I so bad at reading sheet music?” Because sheet music can be challenging to learn. However, with good learning strategies, you too can read music.
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
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Glossary
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Can Singers Sing in Tune Even if They Do Not Hear Their Voice?
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