How to read Piano sheet music?6 min read

In simple words, sheet music is either a guide or record used by piano players or instrumental performers to play or perform musical tunes using a keyboard. It may seem very difficult to read the sheet music in the starting, but with regular practice and sessions, one can easily master the skill of reading piano sheet music. Excited to know more about reading piano sheet music but confused as to where to start from? Worry not! With advanced research methodologies and improved software devices, reading piano notes isn’t a big deal anymore. You can easily learn this skill unlike in the olden days when there were no adequate facilities and rigid parameters to teach and explain the concepts to you. Even with the advent of such technology, we get everything that too in seconds.

Following the below mentioned tips and tricks, you can easily master the skill of learning sheet music and that too in no time. Let’s get started!

Know the Basics of a Piano Music Sheet

If you have a better understanding of the elementary aspects of piano sheet music, then you will be able to be excel and master the keyboard without much trouble. Now a common question you might ask can be- What are the basics of piano sheet music?

Talking about the most basic key in interpreting sheet music includes the staff, which is merely the organization of five parallel lines and the white spaces between them. The horizontal lines on the sheet are nothing else but the staff, and it is important to note here that it is the basis of all musical notations and codes and in fact, a very crucial key to learning about playing a keyboard.

Other essential features present on the music sheet are the clefs- the treble clefs and bass clefs. The treble clef is a symbol that you may easily find on the extreme of the left side of the staff. It denotes the range that one can play the keyboard. The treble clef is used to play higher tunes and it is also known as the G clef. On the other hand, the Bass clef is regarded as the F clef. The left hand is commonly used in playing the bass clef, but it is meant for lower keys or ranges.

In general, the Bass clef can be used for performing the bassoon, trombone, bass guitar, tuba or cello, and any other instrument with low registers or pitch. A thing to note here is that that the staff of the bass clef signifies various notes unlike that of the treble clef.

Identifying and Classifying the White Spaces on the Treble Clefs

If you are able to distinguish those white spaces and label them as F-A-C-E, then you can mark the treble clefs with E-G-B-D-F. if you make the notes this way, then you will be able to know the notes using your right hand on the staff.

If you have just begun to learn the concept of sheet music, it is advisable to learn the names of the alphabets used as notations accordingly. You must remember to mark your staff paper with the letters F-A-C-E, and then proceed upwards. Then you shall begin from the bottom of the line and write notes E-G-B-D-F upwards. This will definitely help you in classifying and recognizing the letters. Once you learn this art of syncing, then you’ll be able to quickly place your fingers well on them as the case may be.

Memorizing the Letters by Heart

A thing to always remember here is that the symbols on the treble clef will be played with the right hand but you have to learn the letters by heart. This indicates that you need to memorize the keys on the lines and even the spaces in a way that your right hand can easily press them without difficulty.

Gradually once you mastered the treble clefs, then you can proceed on to the bass clefs, which you play with your left hand accordingly.

Beginning on the F Line and Drawing the Bass Clef

While beginning on the spaces at the bottom of the page, you can label them with letters A-C-E-G-B. A popular Mnemonics to remember these letters is- “All Cows Eat Grass,” You just need to add letter ‘B’ on top at the end. And guess what, you’ll be able to recollect the letters immediately!

Once you follow the above instruction, start labeling the lines from the bottom of the page by marking them with letters G-B-D-F-A. To make your work easier, we have an easy acronym for you! This acronym is as follows- “Good Boys Don’t Fight Always.”

Make a Hand Diagram and Mark Each Finger Accordingly

This step requires you to make a diagram of your right and left hands on paper and label them with numbers from 1 to 5. Start by numbering your thumb and mark them downwards. You need to follow the same thing with your left hand and begin to practice with some easy songs or the songs which you already know. A list of such reference songs include “Jingle Bells,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Let it Go,” “Hot Cross Buns, ” ‘’Baba black sheep’’, and many more.

Synching piano sheet music with the keyboard

Once you understand the difference between the black and white spaces on the keyboard, then you will be able to use letters of the alphabet such as E-G-B-D-F to label them, and this would further help you to mark the music notes with a pencil and learn the letters by heart.

When you are done with the above task, then you can draw the bass clefs by starting on the F line and tagging them with letters A-C-E-G-B. For a better understanding and approach, you can even use mnemonics to remember the keys or you can use an on-line note recognition tool. With this trick, you can easily learn how to sync your sheet music with a musical instrument.

Conclusion

You are a passionate musical student, then it becomes very important for you to learn about the mental flip strategy for reading music notations, which entails that you turn the sheet music in a way you will be reading the symbols down the page. Hope you’d like the tips &tricks mentioned! Aren’t you excited to get started and have your own piano sheet music? The fun thing to note is that these melodies are already interconnected to one another, and you just need to decode the notations to perform them successfully. After reading this article, you must have understood the basics of the piano music sheet and even how to identify and classify the white spaces on the treble clef. With such influencing methods, you will be able to read piano sheet music and how able to handle a keyboard with ease. With gradual practice, you will also know where to place your fingers while playing the piano.