Do you struggle with this?
You’re constantly stopping and starting because you can’t interpret the sheet music fast enough to play and read at the same time… it feels like your brain can’t keep up with your fingers!
You have to memorize every song to be able to play without stopping. But it’s slow to learn this way, and what if you forget? Your brain can only hold so many songs at once!
You lose your place in the music when you need to look at your hands. When you glance back at the sheet music, it feels like you’ve never seen the notes before!
Or you don’t know anything about sheet music and aren’t sure how to start with learning.
I struggled with learning to read sheet music too!
Christy-Lyn’s Story
I didn’t find it easy to learn to read sheet music. Honestly, it was something I was embarrassed about! I was taught mnemonics, like “Every good boy deserves fruit” and would use that to slowly figure out each note one-by-one. When my teacher asked me to play something new from sheet music, I felt an overwhelming sense of shame because I couldn’t actually identify each note. I remember trying to cheat by guessing what note to play next, and feeling like a terrible person because I should know this by now!
Over the next 10 years, I gradually got faster at reading sheet music, until I eventually got to the point where I could read sheet music quickly. It’s been such a relief and allowed me to explore so much more music! But I wish the process had been easier and hadn’t taken so many years to learn.
When it came to my harp students learning to read sheet music, I saw them having the same frustrations as I had in my early days, and trying different coping mechanisms like writing the letter names under each note. I realized I had to figure out a better way to help them get results faster than I did!
That’s when I started the process of creating the Fluent Formula. I’ve spent years refining these methods, and I’m so excited to share them with you! I really believe it will help you to skip the frustration and learn to read sheet music more easily.
When it came to my harp students learning to read sheet music, I saw them having the same frustrations as I had in my early days, and trying different coping mechanisms like writing the letter names under each note. I realized I had to figure out a better way to help them get results faster than I did!
That’s when I started the process of creating the Fluent Formula. I’ve spent years refining these methods, and I’m so excited to share them with you! I really believe it will help you to skip the frustration and learn to read sheet music more easily.
Carrie’s Story
When I started learning the harp as a child, I did not know how to read music. I learned primarily by ear, and it wasn’t until 5-6 years into playing that I really started to feel comfortable reading music. If you look back through my sheet music from those early years, you’ll see every note name written above each note! Come to find out, that was actually hindering my progress more than helping.
I remember my struggle with reading music caused a lot of shame and discouragement. I LOVED playing the harp, but I felt like my pace in reading music was really slowing me down. I thought I had been playing for long enough that I should just “get it”, and I wondered if it would always be this difficult.
I remember getting so frustrated at one point that I considered quitting the harp! But I’m so glad I stuck with it, because it was very freeing and empowering to accomplish something that had been holding me back for years. And it gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding of music as a whole!
There wasn’t a point in my learning where it one day all just clicked and I was suddenly fluent. It was very much a gradual process of recognizing intervals and the relationship between notes, and lots and lots of practice. Looking back to my early years of learning the harp, I was never really taught an effective strategy for reading music and I know that would’ve been SO helpful.
Reading music doesn’t have to be something you just gradually pick up after years of playing. It really is it’s own language that can be learned with intentionality and a clear path forward, and that’s what you’ll find in this program.
There wasn’t a point in my learning where it one day all just clicked and I was suddenly fluent. It was very much a gradual process of recognizing intervals and the relationship between notes, and lots and lots of practice. Looking back to my early years of learning the harp, I was never really taught an effective strategy for reading music and I know that would’ve been SO helpful.
Reading music doesn’t have to be something you just gradually pick up after years of playing. It really is it’s own language that can be learned with intentionality and a clear path forward, and that’s what you’ll find in this program.
The Fluent Formula:
The secret to reading fast, without thinking hard
A Ground-Breaking 4-Part System
Create a strong page-to-finger connection
To read sheet music fluently, you need to see a note and immediately be able to play it, without stopping to figure out what it is. When you focus on naming the notes, it creates a ‘traffic jam’ in your head, which interrupts the page-to-fingers flow. Instead, learn how to play notes based on the geography of your harp. This will speed up the page-to-fingers connection so that you instantly know where your fingers must go.
Read whole ‘words’ and ‘sentences’ instead of individual ‘letters’
Instead of seeing music as a whole lot of disconnected notes, you’ll learn to identify the ‘words’ and ‘sentences’ in music – shapes and patterns of notes. Learn how to follow the notes as they go up and down on the page and mimic this on your harp, so that you don’t have to stop and figure out each individual note. It’s like being able to read the word “dog” instead of still having to spell out “D.O.G” before you can figure out the word.
Feel the rhythm in your bones!
Counting out each beat at the same time as you’re playing can be very confusing. Instead, you’ll learn to feel the beat like a heartbeat, which stays constant and doesn’t stop. You’ll learn each type of note and will practice how long to hold each note based on it’s time value
Learn each new song with sheet music fluency in mind
When you practice playing a new song, you’re also by default practicing where to look with your eyes… and if you don’t practice keeping track of the sheet music, you’ll never feel comfortable reading along! You need to have a sheet music fluency plan so that as you practice your song you’re also practicing good habits of sheet music reading. Then once a song is ready to play fluently, you’ll be able to read along fluently as well.
Once you have learned all 4 of these elements, you’ll be free of the stress of desperately trying to interpret a page full of notes. By helping you make sense of what’s on the page, you’ll be able to master sheet music rather than feeling overwhelmed.
Here's what you'll get in the 'Unlocking Sheet Music' Program:
Learn the Fluent Formula week by week in a manageable way, guided by harp teachers Christy-Lyn and Carrie
WEEK 1: JUNE 5, 2024
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Creating Page-To-Finger Connections
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 90 min session
Learn a different way to identify notes that isn’t using mnemonics or rhymes, and how to ‘Cheat Read’ pitch without having to think.
You’ll find out why the bass clef is harder to read and get strategies on how to overcome that.
By the end of this week, with daily practice, you should be able to read the notes quickly.
WEEK 2: JUNE 12, 2024
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Reading ‘Words’ With Intervals
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 60 min session
Learn how to identify intervals and how to use them to speed up your sheet music reading.
Learn what vertical intervals and chords are, and how read them easily. Practice quickly identifying notes on leger lines.
By the end of this lesson you’ll know intervals two to eight, and be able to recognize them as a tool for fast reading.
WEEK 3: JUNE 19, 2024
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Rhythm Is In Your Bones!
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 60 min session
Learn not just what the different lengths of notes mean, but also how to “feel” the beat instead of having to count each beat in your head.
You’ll get a lot of practice reading rhythms, and playing them on your harp.
By the end of this week, you will be able to read and play basic rhythm with each hand separately.
WEEK 4: JUNE 26, 2024
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Add It All Together: Reading ‘Sentences’
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 60 min session
Learn to read pitch and rhythm at the same time, and how to add the two hands together. Learn why you might have a mental block about reading two lines of music, and how to approach this so it feels easier.
You’ll learn how to avoid losing your place in the sheet music and how to look ahead so that you don’t have to stop to identify notes.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to read and play pitch and rhythm with two hands together, and understand how to use bracketing to look ahead.
WEEK 5: JULY 3, 2024
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Your Fluency Strategy For New Sheet Music
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 60 min session
Be guided through how to learn a new piece of sheet music so that the result is fluent reading while playing.
Learn when and how to work out the rhythm, notes and how the two hands fit together so that you don’t get overwhelmed but interpret everything correctly.
By the end of this lesson you’ll know how to approach a brand new piece of sheet music in a way that sets you up for success with reading and playing.
WEEK 6: JULY 10, 2024
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Recognizing The symbols
Live Zoom session (or replay) | 60 min session
In this lesson you will learn about the most common symbols and words that appear in sheet music.
There will be extra emphasis on harp-specific markings and the complexities of sheet music for small harps.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to recognize and understand all the common markings and symbols in harp sheet music.
Plus every week you get:
Flashcard Videos to speed up identifying notes
Weekly pre-recorded vidoes
To get really fast at reading and playing, you need to practice identifying notes and playing them immediately. To help you achieve that, you’ll get a ‘Flashcard Video’ each week. You’ll see the note on sheet music, try playing it and then hear the ‘answer’ on video to find out whether you played the right note.
Sheet Music Fluency Practice Videos to practice reading while playing
Weekly pre-recorded vidoes
Each week includes exercises to help you put all the concepts into practice and get confident with your sheet music reading. For each exercise you’ll get the sheet music plus a video to help you self-test whether you got it right.
Additional bonuses included in the program:
BONUS 1
The ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ E-Book:
Learn to read harp music fluently in 6 weeks
90 Page Downloadable PDF
You will receive a beautifully designed book, chapter by chapter each week. This includes sheet music for every exercise taught in the program.
You can print out each chapter after the week’s Zoom session so that you have what you need to practice during the week. The sheet music is clear with large notes to accommodate those with eyesight issues.
BONUS 2
The ‘Sheet Music Fluency Plan’ Cheat Sheet
1 Page Downloadable PDF
The Fluent Formula will only work if you consistently apply it as you learn every new song. That’s where this cheat sheet is useful! All the essential components of the formula are distilled into a plan to use when you’re learning a new song (or recapping an old one). Print it out and paste it to the wall for easy reference.
BONUS 3
The Ultimate Keys and Levers Cheat Sheet for Harp
1 Page Downloadable PDF
Never have to worry about how to get your harp into different keys again! This cheat sheet will show exactly which levers to engage based on what the key signature looks like and how your harp is tuned.
BONUS 4
Printable Flash Cards for away-from-device practice
Downloadable PDF Flash Cards
Although videos are wonderful, sometimes good old physical paper is a relief to the eyes. Download and print these flash cards to practice in your own time. But make sure that you use them in the prescribed way – remember that if you use flash cards in the wrong way it can actually hinder your fluency!
BONUS 5
Harp Range Reference Sheet
1 Page Downloadable PDF
With this handy reference sheet, you’ll be able to see at a glance how high and low your harp goes so that it’s easy to choose new songs that will fit your harp’s range. Make a note of the top and bottom string of your specific harp so that you’ll always have it on hand.
BONUS 6
Interactive and encouraging online community
Journey with others
You will get access to an exclusive ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ online group, as well as our open community feeds. This is one of the most powerful tools to keep you motivated and enjoying the learning process. Ask questions, share your progress and journey with others who are also learning to read sheet music fluently!
BONUS 7
Unlimited Access to the learning materials
Refer back to the content again and again
Although the lessons are live and this program runs over a 6 week period, you’ll have unlimited access to the replays and pre-recorded videos. That way, you can come back to your program over and over to practice the concepts you’ve learned. All the downloads, including the ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ book will be yours to keep.
What's the price?
If you learned all of this content in one-to-one lessons with a harp teacher, it would cost $740*. By using the ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ program, you can learn at a fraction of the price – at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home!
And applying the Fluent Formula means that you’ll avoid the common mistakes of learning to read sheet music, which means that you’ll reach your goals so much faster.
*Price calculated using Christy-Lyn’s and Carrie’s hourly teaching rates.
If you took one-to-one lessons with a teacher: $740
Your price today: $285 (61% less)
Or use your Membership Credits
You can do it! You’re not a hopeless case.
You might be thinking, “I’ve tried for so long and failed – maybe there’s something wrong with me?”
I want you to know that you’re not the problem! The old way of learning to read sheet music usually ends in frustration – there are hundreds of other harp students who feel just the same as you.
But I truly believe that if you can read these words, you can learn to read sheet music.
Let that sink in. Yes, you!
Once you have the tools to make sense of sheet music and read ‘words’ and ‘sentences’ instead of trying to name individual notes, you’ll see how everything changes.
It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
Guarantee
Try the program, risk-free! If you feel you haven’t got the instruction needed to help you to learn to read sheet music fluently at least at a mid-beginner level, we’ll give you a full refund! We truly want you to experience success and if you aren’t satisfied, we aren’t either. More Info
Sight reading vs reading sheet music fluently: What’s the difference?
Sight reading
Reading sheet music fluently while playing
Without any practice, reading and playing a new piece of sheet music at full speed.
After practicing, being able to follow along in the sheet music without stopping to figure out notes or losing your place.
You use sheet music to read and play songs that are below your skill level in terms of harp playing.
You use sheet music to read and play songs you’re currently working on, and to refresh your memory of songs you’ve learned in the past.
You need to read and play the notes with the correct timing all at once.
You can figure out the notes and rhythm slowly and then put them together and build up to full speed, while following along with the sheet music.
In ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ we’ll be focusing on learning to read sheet music fluently while playing. This is a foundational skill and much more useful on a day-to-day basis than sight-reading. Even professional musicians need to follow along in sheet music as they practice new pieces – sight reading doesn’t take away that need!
Being able to easily follow along in the sheet music takes a big load off of your memory, and having the skills to figure out new songs more quickly will open up a new world of possibilities in your harp playing!
Frequently Asked Questions
5 JUNE – 10 JULY 2024: Weekly Live Zoom sessions on Wednesdays at 4pm ET.
No problem! All the sessions will be recorded so you can watch them in your own time.
Each week there will be a live session where you’ll learn the bulk of the content. The first week’s session is 90 minutes and each following session will be 60 minutes long. For practice in between sessions, set aside 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week. That way you can continue with your normal harp practice, and slot this in each day.
We assume that you know the names of your harp strings. That’s all! All the other music theory will be taught from the beginning up.
You’ll benefit the most if you can play at a mid-beginner level, since we’re aiming for you to play and follow along with the sheet music at that level. But no need to be perfect – it’s ok if you’re still solidifying the basics!
You’ll have access to the program for a year, so that you can come back and recap whenever you need! The downloadable PDFs are yours to keep.
Go to this page to swap your credits for a coupon that can be used towards purchasing the ‘Unlocking Sheet Music’ Program. 8 membership credits will buy the full program, or you can use a combination of credits and Dollars, depending on how many credits you’d like to use.
Yes! This program is designed not only to teach the basics but to re-wire the way you think about sheet music. By learning and practicing the Fluent Formula, you’ll be able to read along as fast as you can play, so that sheet music isn’t a barrier to your learning.
Learn to read Sheet Music fluently through our ground breaking Program now!
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