As a musician, being able to play by ear is an impressive trait, but the reality is few of us can do it with absolute precision every time. Sure, a lot of the greats couldn’t read a single note but being able to sight-read sheet music opens a lot of doors for musicians at all experience levels.
Need convincing? Here are a few excellent reasons why learning to read music will change your musical life for the better:
Playing Well With Others
As a musician, chances are at some point you’ll want to collaborate with your peers, whether in a band, choir, or recording studio. The ability to write and read sheet music makes it easier to communicate with your fellow musicians and keeps everyone on the same page–literally.
This is especially true when involving many players, for example in an orchestral setting. Reading music helps you stay on track and is especially useful for songwriting purposes with a group. Even if you are jamming with others who can’t read music, your knowledge will be indispensable as you can quickly teach what you know to anyone who is struggling to keep up.
Boosting Brain Power
Learning to read music doesn’t just help you perfect your craft; it can also improve your critical thinking and math skills. As you begin to learn how to read notes and chords, you’ll also find that your memory becomes sharper, and you begin to have a deeper understanding of music theory.
Although it is of course possible to memorize songs by ear, reading the notes laid out in black and white helps your brain retain the information more accurately and for a longer period. Plus, if you forget a bar or two, it is easy to pick right back up where you got lost!
Becoming a More Diverse Musician
Once you’ve gotten the hang of reading music, it becomes much easier to diversify the genres and styles that you play. If you are a hardcore rock guitarist who can read music, you will find that it is rather simple to sit down and play a classical guitar piece by sight.
This ability to branch out also applies to learning new instruments with ease so that you have a full repertoire of sounds at your fingertips.
Learning to Read Sheet Music - Writing and Performing Better Songs
As your sheet music reading skills grow, so will your appreciation for how songs are structured and what separates a bland tune from a legendary hit. Using your musical aptitude to craft beautiful melodies is an invaluable gift and can put you on the path to success. As a bonus, by writing down the songs you craft you will never experience the tragedy of completely forgetting a song you know was amazing, something that happens to the best of us!
Ready to learn? There is no time like the present, so don’t be shy and start seeking out the tools you need to master reading music today. A what a great way to start with Ed Sheeran Bad Habits sheet music. 😉 Enjoy!
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