-
Home
- Reading music: common notation
- Reading music: common notation
- How to read music
-
Tablatures - A tablature is a method of writing for a specific instrument. It usually notates the music by referring to how each note is played on that instrument. For example, a note written in
guitar tablature simply indicates where the note should be played (which string, and which fret). Many beginning instrumentalists find tablature to be much easier to learn than common notation.
-
Chord-Symbol Notations - For many musicians, notating the
chord progression is enough. They know how to construct a part for their instrument based on each chord. This is a particularly useful skill for musicians in popular genres and jazz. Typically, beginners will simply memorize how to play the most common chords. Eventually, a basic knowledge about how chords are constructed helps the more advanced player to be able to decipher any chord symbol. (See
Triads and
Beyond Triads for more about this.
-
Shape-note and other in-key notations - Some notations, rather then emphasizing the exact pitch of a note, emphasize its place within the key. This is most useful for singers, as it is easier for most singers to hear where a note belongs within the key than to know how high or low it is in an absolute sense.
-
Shorthand notations - There are also notations, such as figured bass, that use some of the conventions of common notation, along with a shorthand that allows the performer at a glance to understand what notes may or may not be played. These are usually used in very specific contexts; for example, figured bass is typically used in Baroque music.
-
Notations from Non-western musical traditions - Western music developed a highly detailed notation for a specific reason: in order to accurately share complex music in which each part is specifically composed. In most other music traditions, complexity is typically added at the discretion of the performer rather than the composer. For this reason, most other traditions rely largely on memorization, improvisation, and shorthand-style notations. If you are focused on learning one of these traditions, you may find it useful to learn the notation that goes with it. Western notation is often inadequate for accurately notating music that comes from a tradition with different expectations for rhythm, tuning, or harmony.
Getting help from others
- Find lessons or classes with a teacher who is familiar with the type of notation that you want to learn.
- Find a group to play with that typically uses that kind of notation, and that would not mind helping you while you learn to play with them.
- Find a friend or amateur musician familiar with the notation that interests you, who would not mind giving you some informal help for free, or for a small fee.
Helping yourself
- If you are already an experienced musician and simply want to learn a new type of notation, you can probably do it on your own using books or Internet-based resources. I do not have any recommendations for specific books or sites.
- If you are a beginning musician, you will probably want to get some help from others if at all possible. If that is not possible, try to find resources that include audio as well as written materials, and as you practice, pay close attention to the correlations between how the music is notated and what it sounds like.
Source:
OpenStax, Reading music: common notation. OpenStax CNX. Feb 08, 2012 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10209/1.10
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.
