Learning to Read Music

by Peter Nickol

Intended for those who want to learn how to play an instrument, or refresh their existing capability, or would like to follow scores while listening, this book helps them to achieve their aim. It leads the reader through the basics of pitch, rhythm, keys, scales, chords, and more, building your knowledge until you are able to read music with ease. Whether you want to learn how to play an instrument, or just refresh your existing capability, whether you sing in a choir, or would simply like to follow scores while listening, this book will help you to achieve your aim. It leads you carefully through the basics of pitch, rhythm, keys, scales, chords, and much more, building your knowledge chapter by chapter until you are able to read music with ease. The visual index of musical symbols laid out at the start will make clear the task at hand. Reference to common instruments and familiar tunes will help bring your learning to life, while self-testing and chapter summaries ensure that you develop and retain this new skill. By the end of the book, you will have come a long way. Your knowledge of music notation will be a pleasure to you, and a useful tool. As well as its practical applications for any performer, it will help to give you insights into how music is put together, and you will have the feeling of knowing the music from the inside out.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Education, Reference

Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good book. It has one function: helping people learn to read musical notation. Nickol has paced the 'how to' guide with great effectiveness. It covers everything I learnt in those primary school musical appreciation classes, but with clarity and also - importantly - an explanation of what each dot, squiggly line and staff give to the playing of music.

For teachers of music and students, this is a good and solid introductory guide.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having decided to learn to play the Cello again recently, I thought it appropriate to relearn how to read music, as I found myself basically at the beginning of my journey for both playing and reading once more. Although, truth be told, I learned more in this book about reading music than I had right up to grade three of Cello playing 17 years ago!

Whether you're new to reading music or have been playing an instrument for a year or two, I would super recommend this book to you. The information is simply laid out, has plenty of visual examples, and is structured well from chapter to chapter, starting from the most basic concepts of reading building complexity slowly as the book continues. I also appreciated the summery boxes at the end of each chapter that usually go over what you have just read in a short, concise fashion. Very good to go back to so that you can refresh your memory.

Based on my rating system, I couldn't fault this book, so I gave it 20/20 5 stars.

[Paul White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book a few years ago when I bought a Yamaha keyboard and tried to learn to play it. However, I never got around to either reading the book or playing the keyboard until this year. I found this book helpful for most part. However, because it was a general book on reading music it digressed from piano/keyboard quite a but towards the end. However, having learned how vast this subject is I found it helpful.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book and find the book is easier to understand all the music words than normal theory textbooks. It is very clear and simple.

[Jack Caulfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly clear and accessible to a complete beginner. Read it in a day and will return to it over time

[Abdullah Droubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book as an accompaniment to my first piano classes and it helped me going through the basics of music notation quite rapidly. This book is clear and easy to comprehend in most of its
chapters. Yet, it doesn't give a clear and sufficient idea about everything (It depends more on why you are reading the book actually). But from chapter 7 onwards, I noticed that parts of the material discussed started to get more complicated to the summarization level used by the author. So I thought there lies groups of information that needed more elaboration.

Nevertheless, as a total beginner to music theory, this book was really helpful to me in many of its aspects, and most of the information it contains was of magnificent help to me. This book was definitely responsible for a not-bad progress to me in music theory.

[Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tháng rồi nhiều có chuyện phân tâm nên đọc Cuộc sống trước mặt mãi không xong (dù quyển này mỏng dính) Thấy update của anh Quân Khuê vừa xơi xong bộ Nhẫn làm mình thấy bức bối vì mãi chưa quyết định cầm 2 quyển cuối lên đọc nốt. Không khéo không hoàn thành kế hoạch 2c/tháng mất.

Có chút liên quan đến chuyện phân tâm, add quyển này vào cho có thành tích :D Viết dễ đọc, dễ hiểu, có bài tập. Đọc xong dù chưa thuộc nhưng giờ em đã biết cách nhận biết, hay quy tắc của các gam Trưởng.

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gekocht voor mijn iemand die net met lessen contrabas is begonnen, en eerst zelf gelezen. Zeer duidelijk en structureel aangepakt, heel begrijpelijk en zeker niet neerbuigend. Aanrader voor wie (nog) geen noten kan lezen, of meer inzicht wil krijgen in al de tekens die op bladmuziek voorkomen. Legt ook uit wat toonladders zijn, en waarom die belangrijk zijn voor een partituur.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never understood those weird squiggles and lines. Instead I learned tablature when practicing guitar, but that limits you to only being able to (re)play music that someone has already converted to tablature. Now I'm learning to read these squiggles that Italian monks came up with centuries ago. So to miss-quote Trinity: "I know music".

[Tnarik Innael · Rating 4 out of 5]

not too complicated, not too shallow.
easy to read book providing a quick introduction to some quirks of score notation, scales, chords, intervals, etc...

good both to get a grasp on score reading as well as understanding certain musical concepts without getting in depth.