We all know it: you learn a new instrument and would like to get started right away and play your favorite music pieces. Surely you have already experienced that in reality it is a lot harder than you might think. Thereby you can accelerate your progress - and keep the frustration as low as possible - we will tell you 6 tips how you can learn to read sheet music faster.

1) What type of learner are you?

​As you may have learned at school, there are four different types of learning: auditory, visual, motoric and communicative. Knowing which category you belong to is also important when learning to play an instrument! Especially the first three categories can prove to be very helpful in accelerating the learning process.

If you don't know your own learning style yet, you can do this 10-minute multiple-choice-quiz to find out.​​

2) Clef and orientation notes

The faster and better you have internalized the differences between violin and bass clefs and their special features, the better! Often it is recommended to choose your personal “orientation note(s)”, i.e.: a note that you can recognize immediately, always and everywhere! As a result of orientation, this can be used to identify further notes. Here is a good example:

This is where the learner types are implemented: for example motor learners can work intensively on practicing scales, while visual learners might prefer to mark their orientation note in color on the sheet of music so that they can be recognized more quickly.

3) Reading relative music notes perfectly

Especially at the beginning of the learning process, reading a sheet of music is still very slow and bumpy. One tends to read each note individually and on its own. If you already feel a little more confident, then try reading “relative” notes! This specifically describes the technique of not deciphering each note individually, but rather reading across several notes and assessing the played note based on the distance to the previous note! In order to practice reading relative notes, easy and one-handed beginner melodies are best suited - depending on the instrument.

4) Use visual tips

Regardless of whether you are a visual learner or not, conspicuous markings of important points on the instrument or sheet music can often work wonders! Is there a very specific finger grip that just doesn't work, do you forget to breathe in in time at one point, or do you keep triping over the same note? Grab some colorful stickers or a highlighter and mark the appropriate spot.

​5) Playful learning to go

If you belong to the motor learner type, then your motto is “learning by doing”. Luckily, there are numerous free ways to learn and practice reading sheet music in a playful way on the Internet, for example here.Take a look in your app store and you will quickly find a suitable educational game there. In this way, you can practice and improve reading music anytime, anywhere and without having to hold the instrument in your hand.​​

​6) Listening and learning

This tip will not only appeal to auditory learners. Especially as a beginner it is helpful that you can play the music piece in advance. Thereby speed, melody as well as notes and breaks can be recognized and replayed faster. For practice, we recommend that you first listen to the pieces several times while reading the sheet music. In the Doblinger online shop, you will find numerous textbooks and CDs that support your learning preferences in the best possible way and guarantee the greatest possible learning success.​​