Why Do We Need to Read Music?

Simply put, notation is music represented in writing. Why did people develop it in the first place?

Music is an art made from sound, but a sound exists for a moment and then fades. Notation provides a way to preserve and share musical ideas so that they can be read, played and heard again. Musical writing has changed over the centuries; the article places the development of the notation familiar today within a history of roughly three hundred years.

Learning notation need not be as difficult as it seems. With suitable teaching, a seven-year-old may begin to understand basic notes and read, sing or play simple pieces within a few weeks. Progress is gradual, like learning a language: letters lead to words, sentences and eventually whole books. But knowing the alphabet is not enough; it needs practice. We learn music by playing, singing and listening as well as reading.

Turning written symbols into sound and music is deeply rewarding. Learning music’s written language opens that enjoyment to you.

Duygu Deniz Uşaklıgil
Rekor Sanat – Violin Teacher