Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Tips for learning to read sheet music?
Trying to play simple tunes but struggling with finding the notes on the violin
Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 (0 votes) 
Avatar
Heinrich
New Hampshire

Advanced member
Members
October 4, 2018 - 10:47 am
Member Since: July 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 58
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I was wondering if anyone had some good suggestions on learning how to read sheet music. I can methodically go through and mark the notes by referencing them against a chart but then have trouble finding those on the violin. Am I going about it the wrong way? I don't expect to be able to pick it up quickly but I'm not sure I'm doing myself any favors with this method.

Avatar
damfino
my own little world
Members

Regulars
October 4, 2018 - 1:00 pm
Member Since: July 23, 2015
Forum Posts: 2113
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

What worked for me, was reading the notes as strings and fingers and placement. I have seen some people poo-poo this method, but it is what worked for me.

I came from knowing what the notes were if I thought about it long enough (pulled from elementary school memories... Every Good Boy Does Fine, FACE etc) but couldn't read it fast enough to play on the fiddle. Treble-clef.jpgImage Enlarger

Now I go back and forth between knowing the note and thinking of the finger, they are both in there now. 

sp_PlupAttachments Attachments

☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆

Avatar
Heinrich
New Hampshire

Advanced member
Members
October 4, 2018 - 3:32 pm
Member Since: July 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 58
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

Avatar
Gordon Shumway
London, England
Members

Regulars
October 4, 2018 - 3:40 pm
Member Since: August 1, 2016
Forum Posts: 2422
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

If your difficulty is finding the notes on the violin, can I ask, do you practise scales?

Andrew

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
October 4, 2018 - 9:16 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

I think one way is to start from the beginning going through beginner books, just for the reading. Work your way up to easy fake books and read very slowly to begin with.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Avatar
Mark
Members

Regulars
October 4, 2018 - 11:12 pm
Member Since: September 30, 2014
Forum Posts: 2138
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

If you think about it in first position all lines of the staff is ether the first or third finger the spaces are the middle finger or open string, if your not using your pinky yet. 

Unless your playing flats?

Mark

Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.

Albert Sammons

Avatar
Gordon Shumway
London, England
Members

Regulars
October 5, 2018 - 3:21 am
Member Since: August 1, 2016
Forum Posts: 2422
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

It's difficult to know how to answer, as we have to judge where you are and not underestimate you.

I have two suggestions.

First the 4 strings of the fiddle, have you written on a stave where they are - that might be a useful reference point? And the second suggestion is to work on intervals. For example, if you mark the violin's A string on a stave and the D the fourth above it and sing both notes and play them both on the violin? You could do the same with the D string and F above it, referring to @damfino's pictures. And then do that as thoroughly as you can.

Try to find some cheap manuscript exercise books. You used to be able to get 6 stave A5 spiral bound ones cheaply. They make good notebooks, but they are becoming harder to find. Warner Brothers Music used to publish a good one, but they seem to have discontinued it, or maybe you can still get them in the USA. It looked like this (I've got half a dozen), but there are others. I think d'Addario do one. Or you can get plenty of larger format ones, if you don't find them daunting.https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31OiaEdRRdL._SY214_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Andrew

Avatar
Heinrich
New Hampshire

Advanced member
Members
October 5, 2018 - 8:18 am
Member Since: July 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 58
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Thanks everyone, great advice. Looks like I need to take it slow and build on it. I suppose it's just like learning a new language. So, far I have been doing scales and simple songs just from memorizing the fingering patterns.

Avatar
Pete_Violin
Utah

Honorary advisor
Members

Regulars
October 13, 2018 - 11:20 am
Member Since: March 25, 2018
Forum Posts: 456
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hi @Heinrich 

So reading music is just one of those things on a long list of things to learnin music.  It is just as essential as learning your fingering or anything else, and like everything else, it just takes time.  Yes, use all the techniques suggested here.  Be patient, it will come. 

It took me a while to be able to read music and it is a skill I am always working on.  It is part of the art of music.  

And above all, remember... if it was easy, everyone would do it.  

- Pete -

Avatar
Ripton
Vermont, Massachusetts or somewhere in between
Members

Regulars
October 13, 2018 - 8:17 pm
Member Since: November 2, 2014
Forum Posts: 595
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
10sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

I found practicing scales while reading the notes helped me. At least learn the finger position by what was on the oage. 

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
October 15, 2018 - 10:45 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
11sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

That makes sense Ripton. I suppose you need to concentrate to actually soak it in thought right?

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Avatar
MrYikes
Members

Regulars
October 16, 2018 - 10:36 am
Member Since: February 11, 2014
Forum Posts: 633
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
12sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

What worked for me was to buy large songbooks. I would try to speed read the notes. I would hit my left thigh for a sharp and my right thigh for a flat because saying the words (sharp, flat) took too much time. It did not take long to get very fast at it. I did not pay attention to whole notes or eighths, they were all just notes. In the beginning remembering that "B" was the middle line helped me.
Then I bought "Liberace's Big Note" songbooks. They have the letter of the notes inside the note and the songs were well known and easy. Playing those songs solidified the fingerings.
The songbooks I bought were cheap, like $3.

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
October 16, 2018 - 12:13 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
13sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

Yes, reading through simple sheet-music is very beneficial for sight reading. I recommend doing it with a metronome and choosing a tempo that you can play mistake-free with good concentration.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 84
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today RCall
Upcoming Sofia Leo, TKDennis, Ms-G, FiddleDetroit, CookiesViolin, Bobby, Elaisa, Michael Browder, EBurrell, Gordon Shumway, ViolinD, dougga, MoonShadows, Astandane, JohnG
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 7718
ABitRusty: 3896
Mad_Wed: 2849
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
Oliver: 2439
Gordon Shumway: 2422
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2138
damfino: 2113
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31657
Moderators: 0
Admins: 7
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 81
Topics: 10581
Posts: 134093
Newest Members:
bittruster, fiddlecastro, jackdaniel, romanmills08, creativestringsinfo, rubble_b, mariachi, avagrey92, Alison, David
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16429, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3744, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 5296