This month I want to address a question I’ve been asked many times: “Should I learn to read music?” The answer may seem obvious, since any skill can be considered an asset. However, there’s an ongoing debate about the negative side effects of learning to play an instrument primarily through method books. After all, music is a language, and you can learn to speak any language without being able to write it. Let’s explore the three arguments I hear most often against studying reading.

May 2018 Issue