June 15, 2019

About the Author: Celine Gaurier-Joubert

Celine Gaurier-Joubert is the founder and director of S & C, The British Music Academy and The London Piano Institute. Thanks to her outstanding knowledge and experience, she is a reference in terms of music education for adults. If you are interested in enrolling at S & C, please contact her directly at enrol@sandc.ae

Don’t know how to read music?

“I really want to play the piano, but I can’t read music”. This is a question asked by multiple people interested in playing the piano many a time.

Well, lucky for you, if you ask the same question, it really is OK. Who in the world expects you to know? Music is like a foreign language and nobody has a clue how to say anything in French until they learn French. If you were to open a Spanish textbook for the first time you would not be a fluent speaker until you learnt the words, the grammar and the pronunciation.

They will need to learn the French words, grammar, accent all at the same time.

Just like if you choose to learn the piano you will learn to read music, the keys on the piano and timing all at the same time.

Nothing that is as good can be learned in a day. It’s a complicated instrument but the fact that you are reading this article suggests you are contemplating being able to learn it. Your anxieties are common, but your passion is your own. If you believe us when we say it is fine that you don’t read music, we will naturally teach you as part of the lessons you will receive in order for you to fulfil your passion. We do not expect you to come knowing how to read music at all. It is not an issue, it will be part of the package our instructors will give you. In fact, it’s probably a bonus as we can all start from scratch with no bad habits learned elsewhere.

As with learning a language the more, you speak it and the more you practice the more fluent you will become. You use the correct tenses, pronunciation, bigger words and so on. You become more confident at speaking it and the more others understand you the more pleased you are with yourself. And therefore, likely to do it more.

Same with the piano or any other instrument, it’s a big commitment but a great one. True joy will be found in playing the piano. From the moment when you can read music (wahoo!) to when you can play without thinking… Remember when you couldn’t drive and now you can. Or for those that don’t drive think of something that you once couldn’t do but now can.

Sight-reading notes is all part of the learning process. It is studied for a long time in order for the student to be so familiar with them that you are able to read and play at the same time which takes co-ordination and practice! Imagine if you were struggling with the words while trying to read a book of interest to you! It would be frustrating if you were and the joy of reading a great novel would go away.

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