By Start Piano Transcription
The good news is that there are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of books, videos and teachers all geared toward teaching piano music reading and sheet music. And the other good news is that learning how to read music is one of the most important skills a musician can develop. It unlocks a whole world of musical possibilities and allows us to bring the composer’s thoughts to life.
One of the best ways to learn piano transcription is by starting with a simple melody and then following it to wherever it naturally wants to take you. This melodic destination is often referred to as the hook and it’s what sets your composition apart from all the rest. If you can find that melodic hook, the other parts of your composition will come together naturally and you’ll have something to hang all the other elements of your piece on.
The next place to start is with the chords. If the song you’re trying to learn has chords, it’s vital to get a feel for the shape of the chords and their timing. This is done by examining each note and seeing how long it should stay at each spot in the chord, as well as how long it should stay between each of those notes. This information can then be used to determine the best time for that note and where it should go next on the keyboard.
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Next, look at the key signature and make sure that you know all of the sharps and flats. Also, pay close attention to the type of ornamentation that is added above or below the notes – trills, turns, accents, grace notes etc. All of these can be incredibly helpful when it comes to keeping your hands in the right position and playing with a smooth, consistent rhythm.
Finally, be sure to check out the chordal units that are being used. Most songs will contain at least one chordal unit, whether it’s a simple triad or a more complex progression of both treble and bass clef notes.
Lastly, start to identify landmark notes. This is a simple technique that will allow you to more intuitively read your sheet music by reading from top to bottom instead of across. This will help you to more easily understand the spacing between each of the notes and to better see how each octave on the keyboard corresponds with the corresponding clef that your piece is written in.
The most important thing to remember is that it’s going to take a little bit of time before you’re fully comfortable reading piano music sheets. But if you start with these simple tips and work hard, it will be worth the effort! Keep practicing, set up a schedule for yourself (Lisa likes to use her trusty Pianote planner) and commit to it. 10-15 minutes a day consistently is much better than one hour once or twice a month.