Many guitar teachers believe it’s old fashioned to teach students to read sheet music, but that isn’t the case. While it’s true many musicians are successful despite never learning to sight read – Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Rich, and Tony Williams to name a few – it’s an invaluable skill that we believe all musicians should have.
Here are 5 great benefits of learning to read music:
1. You Become a More Diverse Musician
If you can read music, you can learn to play an incredible array of musical styles, and fast! From classical and jazz, to country and blues, having a varied repertoire of musical styles up your sleeve will make you a better player and a better composer, because you’ll be familiar with a wider range of playing styles and techniques. This applies to all instruments, including guitar.
2. You can Play with Others
If you plan to play with other musicians, then the ability to read music could be essential. Sheet music keeps everyone in time, and helps avoid confusion.
3. You can Write Down Compositions
Learning to read sheet music is like learning a new language, and soon enough you can use this language to communicate your own ideas. Composing musical ideas as sheet music will allow you to share and play original compositions with others.
4. You can Remember Music more Easily
Learning a piece of music from sheet music will most likely help you remember it better. When you play, you can use those little black dots to visualise the music moving up or down in pitch, and slowing down or speeding up. And, if you do forget, you don’t have to rely on someone else to remind you.
5. To Reach your Musical Potential
Being a confidant sight reader will only assist you in reaching your full musical potential. It’s liberating, not constrictive. Some musicians worry that playing from sheet music results in a mechanical sound. That may be true the first or second time around, but with practice, your own unique playing style will come through. Remember, you have to learn the rules before you can break them.
Learning an instrument is a lifelong skill, and there’s no better time to start than the present. Give us a call on 02 9602 9774, or fill out the form at the top right of this page.
