# Braille Music?

Category: Let's talk

## Post 1 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Wednesday, 09-Sep-2009 3:27:36

Hey Everyone! I'm now a Sophomore in College, at a 4-year University. (we have a music conservatory) and I was contemplating taking a beginning piano class next Semester. (but am a little hesitent because I don't know braille music) I took piano for a year and a half (but this was when I was like 9 and I didn't wanna practice, I didn't wanna learn music [after all my Dad was a musician, and he never read music, so why should I learn to?] was my attitude) and I quit after that, cause it was to confusing, and I only got up to Mary had a little lamb, and then quit playing piano. But as I've gotten older, I sort of regrite not sticking with piano. (there is another student here on campus who is also blind, but they are a music student and have been playing for 11 years) and so they are really good! (not that that has to do with this, but I'm just throwing it out there, because it can be done, they can put the music into braille if I choose to take the class) I was going to take piano, because, I'm older now, so I'm willing to invest my time practicing piano, and willing to learn braille music. Is it a good idea? (I was just going to take this course, and see how I like it) and if I did like it continue over the summer with lessons. Any advice on this would be appreciated! Is it hard to read? (does it take a lot of time to learn?) Any help is appreciated! Thanks all!
Amber.

## Post 2 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 09-Sep-2009 4:15:28

Amber, you raised many good questions. I'm not a strong braille music reader, but I wish I were. I used in college to write music theory assignments out for my own use, and if there's music I don't know for my Church job, I write out the melody lines so I can play along with the organist, or as a way to help me memorize it. For a beginning piano class, I don't know if I'd invest the time in Braille music or not. There's a guy in California named Richard Taesch who has written material on how to learn braille music, and that might be worht looking at. As far as the difficulty of reading braille music, I sometimes wonder if I'd be better off not knowing literary braille before learning the braille music code. It can be somewhat confusing if you try to relate the music symbols to what you know of how to read regular braille. I would think with a beginner piano course, it would be easier than trying to go headlong into a major selection. I hope my no cafine ramblings have been helpful.
Lou

## Post 3 by kithri (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 09-Sep-2009 13:21:20

I took piano, flute, and drums for several years. For the most part I memorized what I needed to do, but if I had to, I would write down in braille in my own code of what I needed to play. I tried braille music and found it confusing because I all ready knew regular braille letters, but that was when I was younger. I could probably pick it up now since I have more patience. Good luck.

## Post 4 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Thursday, 10-Sep-2009 0:07:08

Hey Lue! Thanks for the help. It is appreciated!!! Thanks for the person's name as well. I'll be looking him up, and trying to self-teach myself, although that's gonna be confusing to do so. (yeah I couldn't possibly major in it!) I'd have to play for years and years and I haven't done that, lol. (I was possibly thinking of possibly [depending on how I like the beginning class] of minoring in it) Thanks for the help everyone!! :)
Amber.

## Post 5 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Thursday, 10-Sep-2009 5:55:23

I think that Hadley still offers a correspondence class in Braille Music. Having said that, I'm the poster child for a really bad Hadley student. I don't have the self-discipline to do it. Another source is Dancing Dots. I think they've actually put some of Mr. Taesch's materials in braille.
Lou

## Post 6 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 1:43:03

Hi Lou! Thanks for the info! I'll definitely be checking that out. (I'm leaning towards taking it next semester) but if I did, I'd like to have read some music before I take the class, so that I can hopefully begin to pick it up. But for most it's like learning another language, correct me if I'm wrong. Is there anywhere where I can download a book (like from bookshare) on learning braille music?
Thanks for all the help, and if I don't learn it now, I can always figure it out once I start that beginning piano class next semester)!
Amber.

## Post 7 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 4:32:48

There might be somethign on NLS Web Braille, but I'm not sure beyond that.

## Post 8 by Liz (The Original) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 20:37:21

It's been awhile, but I can read Braille music. NLS does have materials. Feel free to private message me if I can be of further help.

## Post 9 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Friday, 11-Sep-2009 22:26:38

Hello, I have a slightly different perspective on this, hope it helps. And hope it translates well because I'm teaching myself UEB and using the Grade Ii Everywhere feature on my Omni to write this, so hope none of this gets gar4. I'm speaking from the vantage point of reading Braille music for both piano and winds. Can't say for guitar or anything. The confusion came when learning Braille music for piano because you first learn to play whole notes. You don't learn that first thing on a wind instrument, even a recorder, because you don't have the wind yet. !understand Braille music, it's actuY easier !start with eighth notes, because Braille music uses the eighth as the base, if you will. Basically, you probably one that the c scale goes c d e f g a b. Well, the simplest way !think of it is that in music, the eighth note is one letter up from the actual letter. c is d, d is e, e is f f is g. For a and b, use i for a and j for b. Now to go to quarter add dot 6. Half, add dot 3. Whole, add dots 6 1nd 3. Because I started, or rather restarted, on piano twice, it took time !learn it. Piano starts off with the slowest notes first, whole notes, plus you by definition have !learn a lot more: left hand, right hand (doesn't always correspond !bass and trebble on the keyboard) and you must learn intervals, they go in opposite ways depending on the hand. I picked up wind music later, long after I'd forsaken my classical training and spent nights playing clubs. I'm not a teacher, and don't pretend !be, but am now ofthe opinion that !learn Braille music blind, you ought !start witha wind like a flute or recorder, since wind music starts out with simpler notN and with quarters and eighths. But I use Braille music now with my PAC Mate so I don't have !try !remember the notes all at once when I'm learning something new. Don't get me wrong, I love the piano and keyboards. They are my primary instrumment, or were when I had them, but winds will let you learn the basics without tripping up over -plex notNot.

## Post 10 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 11:57:58

Well said to the last post. Thanks for reminding me of the great NLS Resources, Liz. I don't know if their instructional courses are on web braille these days, but I know they do put a good bit of their music on the site.
Lou

## Post 11 by robbiec12345 (Good night and Farewell ) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 13:42:28

I am currently learning braille music. It's okay, but you do have to keep practicing and keep remembering it otherwise you'll lose it completely.

## Post 12 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 13:48:33

I took the Hadley correspondance course. I have to say, I didn't like it too much, but there are other ways to learn it. I also got braille music software through Dancing Dots that allows you to scan print music, and translate it into braille music. I must say, I highly recommend it. The only trouble is that you need someone sighted who can edit the print music, because, like all scanning, it does require some editing. It comes with three programs: Goodfeel, Lime, and Sharp Eye. All three are required to make it work.

## Post 13 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 20:24:21

Thanks everyone!!! I'll definitely take that into account when learning it. With the wind insterments, it'd be difficult to play; maybe even more difficult then the piano for me. lol. But I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for all the help/suggestions! Now my next (and last!) question; should I go through with taking the class next Semester?
Amber.

## Post 14 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 21:36:17

That's a hard call. If the next semester starts in January and you can get a jumpstart on the process, maybe so. Also, it will help if you can find out if the classwork is available in braille, or if rfb&d has it available. You might try and line someone up from the Music Department and/or the college's tutorial services program in case you can't find out about the course materials. I know this isn't much of an answer, but just some things to consider.
Lou

## Post 15 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Saturday, 12-Sep-2009 23:25:09

No, the Hadley School has discontinued their Braille music course. I have no desire to teach myself Braille music, but I do remember the basics. I got up to smaller note values, then fell behind and got so lost and confused. lol

## Post 16 by SilverLightning (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Sunday, 13-Sep-2009 7:07:14

I have been playing music nearly all of my life, I started in second grade, and I only touched braille music one time. In my opinion it added too many complications to an already complicated system. Plus, you have to memorize it anyone, I only know of a few instruments you can play with one hand, so you can't read and play at the same time anyway. It is better to learn from being shown in my opinion. Being able to play by ear is a much easier skill to learn if your willing to try very hard to learn it.

## Post 17 by season (the invisible soul) on Sunday, 13-Sep-2009 7:16:47

braille music aint that dificult to learn, but you need constently practice or at least, constently read and use it. its different from normal braille, but its also use the 6 dots, for sure.
good luck, keep us update with your progress

## Post 18 by Liz (The Original) on Sunday, 13-Sep-2009 11:55:36

Braille music was definitely useful to me in rehearsal when we needed to start at measure #x. My instrument is the violin, so I can't read and play at the same time, but knowing Braille music has been invaluable.

## Post 19 by JerseyGirl1989 (Zone BBS is my Life) on Sunday, 13-Sep-2009 18:09:22

Thanks, everyone! Uh as far as getting miterials, I have to sign up for my classes in October; so I have to okay it with my advisor granted I pass the classes that I am in now. So I was just wondering if there was any thing to get me started, cause I'll be starting it in January, so I wanted to be prepared for what it's like so that I don't go into class totally lost. (I don't think I will, since it's beginning, and it's not for the major) but still. I already have a full plate this Semester. Thanks for the help everyone!
Amber.

## Post 20 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Sunday, 13-Sep-2009 21:20:48

To Sliver Lightnihg: I agree that braille music is hard, however there really are times when it is helpful. I have a Church job, where I play synthesizer along with the organist. Sometimes, I'm doubling the melody on a hymn. If its a hymn I don't know, I can read with one hand and play with the other. I used to do session work, and would play the piano part first. I'd go and try to record the bass line, and couldn't remember the chords I laid down. I could take the piano track and write the bass line out, again so I could play it with one hand. As for more complex uses of braille music, its really nice to give your own enterpretation without parroting what you hear on a tape or CD of a song. I won't say this next is always the case, but the more one knows about music notation, the more musically literate one can potentially be. This makes communicating with sighted piers easier. Again, I'm not a strong braille music reader, but when I need it, I really need it.
Lou

## Post 21 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Monday, 14-Sep-2009 17:48:55

Honestly, whether you read braille music, or learn it by ear, both of which are quite time consuming when the music is challenging, you have to memorize it, so I guess it just depends what your personal preference is.

## Post 22 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Tuesday, 15-Sep-2009 13:30:18

Except that when learning it by ear, you are' subject to the interpretation of the player. Both are necessary I think, especially when exploring new ideas.
Now that I've gone to keyless instruments - trying to learn the bamboo flute and fife, I u-sed my ears to transcribe celtic tunes into Braille music so I can look at it, and then use my ears not to memorize but learn to listen to the subtle stuff that they're doing, which doesn't translate on paper, almost trills but not quite.
So both are valuable, but each does something entirely different.
I've downloaded some things from NLS - I then have the assurance of having the music - but can listen to how the irish flute people, or the fife people or whoever, make their sound.
BTW I wish there was a fife book in accessible format because my mother gave me one she's apparently had for quite awhile and I'd at least like to become competent at it before too long.
But back to subject at hand: if it's a style you're totally familiar with, your ear training will tell you what to look for. If it's new, you have to learn the intricacies.
I still say - even though I learned piano first - that music for one-line instruments is probably a lot easier to start out on. I can read and memorize a relatively complex recorder piece in far less time than a piano selection, even though piano was my primary instrument.
With piano, you have the intricacies of did they do bar over bar or paragraph format, learning how the intervals work (right-hand goes down while left goes up), and it's separated into "hands" rather than bass and trebble although of course you have octave markings.
And you have to sort out fingering marks, which really took some getting used to them not being there with winds - I know it's obvious, but there's so much more you must learn just to get started on the piano.
Just more rambling thoughts, I guess.

## Post 23 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Tuesday, 15-Sep-2009 20:24:00

I totally agree with the last post. Single line stuff is way easier. My first formal instrument was trumpet. I'm so glad that was my first intro to braille music, otherwise I'd be much worse a user of it than I am. You might try writing or calling the Music Section of NLS to see if they know of anything for fife from other countries.
Good luck.
Lou

## Post 24 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Thursday, 17-Sep-2009 7:38:42

Yeah. Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. I guess you just have to weigh them out, and choose which ever seems the best, or the least frustrating, to you. lol.