Guide: learning to read a piano score (beginner)
You begin your first solfeggio and would like to quickly read a piano score? Sheet music is used to read and write music.. So learning to decipher a piano score right from the start of your music lessons can be a great help in getting you started more quickly.
Note placement, staff structure, right and left hand distinction: Newzik gives you all the rules and subtleties of writing and reading a piano score, so that deciphering them will no longer hold any secrets for you!
What does a piano score look like?
A quick reminder: what is a score?
In jazz and classical music, the score is the most widely used technique for visually representing music through symbols indicating the rhythms, melodies, structures and harmonies of a musical composition. A form of musical writing, sheet music tells the musician which notes to play and when.
A score should not be confused with a tablature, which is a notation system designed for certain stringed instruments such as the guitar or bass. Unlike sheet music, tablature indicates where to place your fingers to play a note or a chord. More intuitive for some beginners, tablature remains less precise and less universal than sheet music.
💡 Sheet music is generally instrument-specific. For example, a piano score is intended for pianists who will be able to read and perform the indications on the instrument with one or two hands.
Composition and staff structure of a piano score
Composed of five horizontal lines called "staves" following a treble clef or F 🎼 pattern, the classical score indicates the notes and their pitch (tonality) on these staves. Whether in paper or digital format, the score contains the following musical instructions:
the notes to be played,
the rythm,
tempo,
note duration,
indication of dynamics (volume) or expression.
Representation of a classical staff with the sequence of notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.
On the piano, the score is made up of two groups of five bars arranged horizontally. Each group of bars represents a staff. And, on these staves, we find symbols to represent the notes in the form of black or white balls with tails.
On a piano score, there are two staves to indicate the parts to be played by each hand: the right and the left. Thus, the top staff indicates the part to be played with the right hand, and the bottom staff indicates the part to be played with the left hand. The indications on both staves can therefore designate simultaneous playing for the right and left hands. The staff for the right hand can be identified by the presence of the treble clef at the very beginning of the score.
Excerpt from a piano score of Jeff Buckley's "Hallellujah
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Learn to read a piano score, step by step
Distinguishing between left-hand and right-hand staves
The first step in reading a piano score is to distinguish between left-hand and right-hand staves.
As mentioned above, the upper staff is always associated with the right hand and marked by the treble clef. This treble clef indicates that the notes on this staff are generally higher-pitched and played with the right hand.
In red, the placement of the highest notes on the staff 👆
In red, the placement of the lowest notes on the staff 👆
The lower staff is associated with the left hand and is marked by the Bass clef. The Bass clef indicates that the notes are lower pitched and should be played with the left hand. If you're a beginner pianist, you'll need to learn how to quickly locate these two clefs on the score to know which hand should be used for each note.
→ The treble clef at the beginning of the top staff,
→ La Bass clef at the beginning of the bottom staff.
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Understand the positioning and sequence of notes on the staff
Once you've distinguished the staves, it's essential to understand how the notes are placed on them.
On each staff, the lines and spaces between the lines represent specific notes. In treble clef, the staff lines, from bottom to top, correspond to the notes Mi, Sol, Si, Ré, and Fa. The spaces represent the notes F, A, C and E.
For Bass clef, the lines correspond to the notes G, B, D, F and A, while the spaces represent the notes A, C, E and G. Recognizing these notes on the staff is important if you want to learn to play the piano, as it enables you to quickly translate the score into movements on the keyboard.
A sequence of notes can continue ad infinitum on either side of the score. Notes can be located very low or very high outside the staff. By extending the series "Do, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si" from the notes given on a score, it is possible to find the names of these notes. For example, here, on this staff for the right hand, the notes Do, Mi, La, Si, Ré, La, Si and Do follow each other in order from left to right:
You'll notice that the two backs on the staff are not positioned on the same level. The first is lower on the score than the second. The first C is therefore further to the left on the piano keyboard (a lower C) than the second (higher up on the staff and therefore higher pitched).
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How do I learn to play a simple piece on the piano?
Learn to place notes on the keys of a piano keyboard
Have you figured out how to read the notes on the staff? The next step is to learn how to locate them on the piano keyboard. Each note on the score corresponds to an associated key on the keyboard. For example, middle C, which is often your initial reference point, is located in the center of the keyboard, just to the left of the two black keys grouped together.
The white keys correspond to the natural notes(C, D, E, F, G, A, B), while the black keys correspond to sharps or flats (e.g. C# or Db). A good exercise for beginners is to associate each note on the score with its corresponding key on the keyboard, and practice until this sequence becomes automatic.
Translate the score
Once you're comfortable with the placement of notes on the keyboard, it's time to translate the score into music.
Translating a score means not only identifying the notes to be played, but also how they should be played. To do this, you need to take into account the rythmtempo, the measure of each note and the dynamics indicated on the score.
For example, an eighth note (🎵) indicates that the note should be played for a shorter duration than a half note.
Reading each bar is also important, as bars divides the music into equal segments of time, helping you to maintain the correct rythm throughout the piece. It is advisable to learn how to read and interpret these symbols in order to perform the song as it was composed.
Execute notes while playing the song
Once you've mastered reading the score with your fingertips, all you have to do is play the piece in question, following the indications on the staves!
It's not a question of being able to play as quickly as the original piece demands. Take your time! Start by playing slowly, concentrating on the precision of each note and rythm.
Feel comfortable? Gradually increase speed to reach the tempo indicated on the score. The aim is to play the piece fluidly and expressively, respecting all the dynamic andexpressive indications on the score.
With practice and perseverance, reading a piano score will become more and more natural, and you'll be able to play increasingly complex pieces. Don't forget that the key to reading a piano score well is regular practice and take music theory lessons to reinforce your skills.
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