Musical Cosmos

Many people who are new to music (I’m thinking here of non-classical guitarists, since the electric guitar is one of my instruments, so I’m familiar with the attitudes of many players), not only don’t bother to learn to read traditional notation, but even seem to take pride in that inability. Perhaps they associate it with what they perceive as the ‘boring’ or ‘uncool’ classical tradition, or they don’t want to appear to be ’studying’ music too much (preferring to cultivate the - inaccurate - image of the divinely inspired artist perhaps?). Or maybe it looks too difficult and they just don’t know where to start, or can’t be bothered. But is this really a good move?

It’s undeniable that you can be a good, or even great, performer and writer of music without reading notation. Many professional musicians outside of the classical sphere sustain highly successful careers without being able to read a note, so it’s certainly not essential. And every musician has different goals and reasons for becoming involved in music, and it’s not for me to say that anyone has to do anything. Nonetheless I do think that it’s nearly always worth learning to read notation, even at a basic level. There are many arguments in favour of learning it, but I’ll just focus on one here - the avenues it opens up.

Simply put, if you can read music, you can explore a whole world of musical territory that would not otherwise be accessible to you. You might have a great ear and be able to play anything after hearing it, but so much music isn’t available in recorded form, and there isn’t always someone around to play it to you. Now some people are probably so musically narrow-minded that they don’t ever listen to anything outside of what they’ve already decided they like, but most truly great musicians have an insatiable love for music itself - not necessarily in all its forms, but there’s a thirst for new musical discoveries and expanded horizons. If you can read music, you instantly have access to much more new material that if you don’t.

And if you want to convey your musical ideas to others, you’re also dependent on a recording device, or having direct contact with them. These methods may work most of the time, but by writing your idea down - even very roughly - on manuscript paper, you now have a permanent and accurate record that anyone who can read notation can refer to, regardless of the technology that’s available.

Simply put, reading notation helps you to to be a more ‘complete’ musician. Surely someone who genuinely loves music will want to learn as much about it as possible?

Of course there are many people who would like to learn, but are put off because of the apparent difficulty involved. I agree that it probably does look a bit daunting at first! Although I learned to read conventional notation fluently as a young child (and don’t really remember the process of learning), even now I can look at an avant-garde musical score and be totally confused by a large proportion of the more esoteric symbols on display, so I can sympathise with those who find notation a bit intimidating at first glance. But the good news is - it’s easy! It’s all very straightforward and logical, and as with any subject, you begin with the basics and build on that. It might take a few months before you’re reading fluently (maybe more or less depending on the effort you put into learning), but I firmly believe that anyone can learn to read notation, and that it needn’t be difficult.

I also believe that it’s easiest to learn to read music in conjunction with learning a new instrument - that way you proceed at a steady pace, and can master both reading and playing simultaneously. If you learn on an instrument that you already play well, it might be too tempting to jump ahead and then get frustrated when your reading comprehension doesn’t keep up with your fingers.

I’ll be writing a series of in-depth articles on music theory that will cover basic reading skills for the Musical Cosmos website, although it’ll be a few months until they’re published. But there are plenty of books, websites and even software available that can teach you to read music. I’m not going to recommend any here, as I haven’t used any of them personally, but a quick Google search will unearth plenty of options, including lots of free information. If you decide to go the recommended route of learning in conjunction with learning an instrument, most good tutor books cover music notation from the beginning.

The only books that I would mention for those interested in reading music and music theory in general are the AB Guide to Music Theory books 1 & 2 by Eric Taylor (published by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). They’re a little dry, but really cover all the basics (and more advanced stuff in volume 2) in a very clear and accessible way, and make good references. There’s also a Dummies guide for those who prefer a more light-hearted approach! I’m a fan of the Dummies (and Idiots Guide) series, and have found many of their music and non-music titles to be very useful and well-written, so I can recommend them too.