Play a song
If you don't have sheet music yet then you can get some here.
These are the steps that you should make when learning a song that you haven't heard before.
Find out what parts of the song are repeated as described in the chapter Repeats and jumps.
Simplify the chords. Establish which keys are part of each chords as described in the chapter Chords. Play the chords as they occur in the song. When you can find the keys for each chord quickly then it is time for the next step.
Find out which keys are to be raised or lowered according to the number of sharps or flats printed at the start of the song. Use the method that was described in the chapter The keys. Play all the notes in the song without the chords and without considering the timing. Repeat this until you can find the key for each note quickly.
Now play chords and melody together still not considering the timing. Repeat this until you can find the keys for each chord and each note quickly.
Now start counting 1-2-3-4. Do this very slowly and try to play the melody notes in the correct timing. Remember what you learned about counting for short notes in the chapter about Timing.
Now try different styles and melody voices. When you have found a style and melody voice that sounds very good with this song then take a pencil and write these in your songbook. Or save it in the song presets if your arranger has this feature.
Back to the note reading homepage