If you are a singer or musician, being able to read musical notation is one of the basics to start with, so learning to read music notes is necessary in order to appreciate and understand other music concepts. Just as words are the basis of literature, and numbers of mathematics, so notes are to music.

It is helpful to pinpoint what kind of learning style you have, so that you can tailor your music studies to your personal style. The different kinds of learners in music are: first, the auditory learner. These are the people who learn by ear or, in other words, by simply hearing the music.

The second is the kinesthetic learner. A person can be considered a kinesthetic learner if he learns and understands better through the use of shapes and patterns.

Last is the visual learner, who comprehends more by sight reading, or in reading musical notes on the page. However, it is important that all students learn to read music notes, and although the visual learner has the advantage at sight reading, there are also tricks of the trade for the other learners so that they, too, may comprehend reading music more easily.

For Auditory learners, it is helpful to hear each note on the staff along with the instrument being played. Do this for all the notes. Hit the key or strum the string equivalent to the note to produce a clear tone, and if necessary, take it slow and repeat until the note is distinctly heard.

This will help the auditory learner recall what the piece of music sounds like, and after the first try, or a few subsequent runs, it will soon be easier for him to play the piece even without the use of the musical notes.

For kinesthetic learners, it is helpful to remember that the up and down of the keyboard or whichever instrument is being played, corresponds to the way the staff is situated. Or, if the instrument is played left to right, that it is mentally rotated to the up and down orientation of the staff. Since kinesthetic learners learn concepts by associating them with familiar patterns, this is a useful tip to incorporate.

Whichever style of learner you are, you should be able to understand the concepts and ideas of reading the musical notes from sheet music. From that point you can add to your learning technique and personalize your music reading.