Hey Singer! Does Sheet Music Confuse You?
Picking up a piece of sheet music can be quite overwhelming. All of those dots, lines and markings can resemble a completely different language. Imagine being able to read the music as easily as you read words. Imagine walking into a rehearsal or vocal lesson and having the confidence and skills to read music you have never seen or heard before. How much time could you save not having to rely on recordings to learn a melody?
Hi, my name is Ian Castle and I'm a Professional Performer and Vocal Coach from Australia. I have been reading music basically my entire life. I started playing piano when I was four so I was learning to read music and words around the same time. Music is very much a language to me. As a vocalist I know how much easier it is to learn songs being able to read the music. Far too often singers these days are relying on lyric sheets to learn a song. If you already know the melody of a song a lyric sheet will be useful however if you don't know the song a lyric sheet is not much help!
What Does The Sheet Music Tell You?
There is so much information on a piece of sheet music:
- The Lyrics
- The Notes of the Melody
- The Rhythm of the Melody
- The Key of the Song
- The Beat Pattern
- The Speed of the Song
- Sudden changes in Tempo
- The Length of Instrumental Sections
- Changes in Volume
- Expression
Introducing the Music Theory Course For Singers
I have created an interactive online course to help you learn the fundamentals of music theory. You will be able to pick up a piece of sheet music and know what every note and marking means and how to apply music theory to your singing.
ENROL NOWThe Course Features 11 Video Lessons
Lesson One - Beats and Note Values
In this lesson you will learn about the different notes you will find on the music and how how they relate to a constant beat pattern.
Lesson Two - Combining Note Values and Rests
In this lesson you will learn how to combine note values and rests to create a rhythm. Combining note values is the first step in designing a melody.
Lesson Three - Time Signatures, Dotted Notes and Ties
In this lesson you will learn what a time signature is and how to recognise and sing dotted notes and ties.
Lesson Four - The Music Stave, Clefs and Note Names
In this lesson you will learn about the music stave, the treble and bass clefs and recognise the names of the notes that create the beautiful melodies that you sing.
Lesson Five - Accidentals and Key Signatures
In this lesson you will learn what accidentals are and how a key signature can "tidy up" the music. The PDF that accompanies this lesson includes every key signature you are likely to come across.
Lesson Six - The Major Scale
In this lesson you will learn how to construct a major scale and why scales are not just for warming up your voice. The PDF that accompanies this lesson includes the notes of every major scale.
Lesson Seven
In this lesson you will learn how to recognise and construct a minor scale. Have you ever noticed how some songs sound happy or sad? In this lesson you will find out why. The PDF that accompanies this lesson includes the notes of every major scale.
Lesson Eight - Intervals
In this lesson you will learn how to recognise intervals. By learning how to sing intervals you will be able to improve your sight singing skills (the ability to read and sing something you've never heard). The PDF included with this lesson contains many interval examples for you to practice.
Lesson Nine - Triplets
In this lesson you will learn how to recognise and sing an advanced sequence of notes called a triplet.
Lesson Ten and Eleven - Musical Signs and Terms
In the final two lessons of the course you will learn many musical signs and terms that tell you changes in tempo (speed), dynamics (loud and soft), as well as directional markings and common Italian words that are found in many pieces of music.
ENROL NOW
Assessing Your Progress
Every legitimate course needs some type of assessment. I have included a quick quiz for every lesson to test your understanding of the musical concepts discussed. You will even get to see your results for each quiz, just in case you get a couple of answers wrong.
Downloadable PDF Sheets
Each lesson comes with a downloadable PDF for quick reference plus bonus content not covered in the video lesson. You can combine the PDFs to create a 41 page booklet or ebook that will cover everything you need to know about reading sheet music.
Frequently Asked Questions
I designed the course so that the lessons can be understood by young children as well as older adults. You do not need any previous musical training to apply the concepts covered in the course.
The total course time including video lessons and each lesson quiz is about 2 hours so you could theoretically complete the course in one 2 hour sitting however I would recommend focusing on one lesson per day and applying the lesson content to a piece of sheet music. You will retain much more information completing the course over a week or two.
When you enrol in the course you will create a username and password that will allow you to access the member area. You will be able to view the lessons on your computer, tablet or phone. I would recommend a tablet as a minimum screen size.
Yes absolutely. Each video lesson has a comments section where you can ask me a question.
Yes you can! I you have a creative kids voucher (Australia Only) you can submit the voucher to gain access to the course. Simply send an email to [email protected] and I will enrol you personally.
Yes absolutely! You will have 60 days to put the course to the test! If, after 60 days, you feel the course isn't right for you you can get a full refund plus I'll let you keep the PDF's. This refund doesn't apply to the Creative Kids Voucher however.
How Much is the Course?
As an introductory offer I am opening up the course for enrolments for one payment of $47 ($USD) That works out at $4.27 per lesson which, to be honest, is ridiculously cheap for the amount of content in the course and the skills you will learn that will help you become a better singer and musician.
