As a first-time learner, there is a lot you need to know besides playing a musical instrument. Sheet reading is one skill that you will need to use often to keep your note-reading reflexes sharp. You have probably heard about it but do not know how important it is.
1. Play around with the dynamics!
Try playing softer than you normally would, and then try playing louder. Notice how this changes the emotional effect of the music. [If there are many dynamics in your piece, you can choose two for this exercise.
2. Memorize Key Signatures!
Memorizing will help you to quickly tell whether a piece you are trying to play has flats, sharps, or no accidentals at all. If you don’t know what key you are playing in, it’s going to take a lot longer to figure that out than if you already know!
3. Know Your Scales
Scales are the building blocks to sheet reading due to how they give you some context regarding what notes should be coming ahead of time. There are many ways to practice these, I’m sure you’ve heard them all before. So, keep doing scales until you know them well!
4. Identify Annotations in the Piece
Notations such as slurs, articulations, and other marks in the score are crucial for knowing the piece. Identifying these parts before you begin and playing them as written is a great habit to have.
5. Practice different types of music!
The more you can play in different styles, the stronger your reading skills will become. As a beginner, we recommend working on pieces in the Classical style and then moving on to Jazz, Blues, etc.
6. Mark on the paper as you practice!
When you’re working on your piece, it is helpful to mark the part on the paper exactly as you are playing it. Marks will help you to be able to go back and see what exactly you played without having to listen through the entire piece again.
7. Identify sequences and intervals
Certain patterns in music are products of other parts, such as scales. As you get more familiar with your piece, try to identify these patterns so that you can play them with more confidence.
8. If You Get Stuck, Move to the Next Measure/Beam-up!
If you get stuck on a measure, it can be hard to know where exactly to look for your mistake. We recommend that you move to the next and play it perfectly, then come back.