Learning to read standard notation - need easy sheet music

Scales and arpeggios

I am on a hunt for fairly easy sheet music with standard notation so that I can practice sight reading music as a way of applying my newly acquired knowledge of scales on the low G uke.

Broadly speaking, I can read music, however, specifically with the uke I have not been playing notes on the scale. I have been strumming chords and reading tab. But now I would like to actually read standard notation and get some practice with playing specific notes up and down the fretboard.

Can you suggest some resources to help me move towards my goal of increased musicianship with the ukulele?

Have you thought about simply writing out some basic scales and simple arpeggios? You can include them in your practice warm-ups...

-- Gary
 
I think it depends how serious you are about your playing. If you just want to learn to play songs then you can probably get by with just reading tabs. The internet is full of them after all.

If however, you wish to get into theory and writing music then it is absolutely necessary. It may also be necessary if you wish to play and discuss things with other musicians (though it's entirely impossible you won't run into it there). Here is a good place to start https://www.fortenotation.com/en/blank-sheet-music-printable-pdf/
 
Last edited:
This thread has been dormant for about 2 years but I'll post an update.

As one who played classical guitar I developed very basic sightreading skills and wanted to acquire the same skills for GCEA ukulele.

I can recommend a book on sightreading on Curt Sheller's learning website:

The book title is:

Ukulele Reading Music Series​

Reading in Open Position Single Note Studies
Product Code: UKEREAD1


Scroll past contents list.
 
Last edited:
In addition to all the good suggestions you’ve already received, I offer up the following website, which contains plenty of free, accurate song melodies to work on, with simple, easy to read music notation. Tablature is also included, but you can ignore it (or use it as a reference tool if you get stuck on a particular note. :) Good luck!

 
In addition to all the good suggestions you’ve already received, I offer up the following website, which contains plenty of free, accurate song melodies to work on, with simple, easy to read music notation. Tablature is also included, but you can ignore it (or use it as a reference tool if you get stuck on a particular note. :) Good luck!

Any sites with just standard notation, no tab?

Ed
 
Any sites with just standard notation, no tab?

Ed
Ed,
Are you looking for music with just the melody line? Or do you want arrangements?
I have a bunch of links to free uke music. If you let me know which of the two options above best fits your needs, then I will look through my links and see if there’s anything that provides it in standard notation only.
 
Any sites with just standard notation, no tab?

Ed
There are plenty of free sheet music websites. Here is one; I do not know how legal it is: https://sheetmusic-free.com/

Hal Leonard has several "fake books" of simple sheet music. These are good for beginners or performers who have to play a song with no practice, but they may lack detailed melodies.
 
I started to sightread from "Fiddling Tune Book" from Mel Bay. The range of notes is very close to high G and low G ukulele. The songs are in ukulele keys. This will keep me busy for awhile.

I also started to create some study sheets for sightreading. I had good reading skills when I studied classical guitar. And we basically have half the strings plus high or low G string. I find this helps with campanella. Learning Campanella is very similar to learning classical guitar repertoire. No visible chords, progressions, strumming patterns.
 
What is the goal? To read and pick melody lines, read and play chords, or to read and play chord melody?

I am an incredibly slow melody line reader, just enough to develop a short lead. I cannot do it in real-time. Mostly I use it to help sing the correct notes or "voice" a difficult chord.

Play notation chords? Fug-get-it, I use chord names.
 
What is the goal? To read and pick melody lines, read and play chords, or to read and play chord melody?

I am an incredibly slow melody line reader, just enough to develop a short lead. I cannot do it in real-time. Mostly I use it to help sing the correct notes or "voice" a difficult chord.

Play notation chords? Fug-get-it, I use chord names.
To learn the vocal/lead line and add some variations to the chord progressions, strumming or fingerpicking. Nothing to do with chord melody, which is an advanced talent. Sight reading discussions seems to scare some people. Reminds of the joke, how do you stop a guitarist playing, put sheet music in front of him. If we don't have any way to sight read in some sort of group or ensemble situation we won't get good. Reading music is not necessary for folk instruments. Tablature notation was used by fretted instrument players since the Medieval period all over Europe.

Then there are pianists who read treble clef and bass clef simultaneously while playing with both hands.

But we don't have to.
 
How's it progressing? I'm afraid I unintentionally offended some people because as a child I was taught to read music and to write in cursive. For me it is like falling off a log and I have lost perspective on the challenge of learning to sight read. I have found that reading music is easy, but what isn't easy is how to interpret and apply what you've read. For example, I mostly compose in E. On a linear uke there are three E4 voices. Which one do you use? And based on your choice of the E all the subsequent notes change as well. Otherwise you're jumping all over the fretboard in a very un-optimized fashion.
 
How's it progressing? I'm afraid I unintentionally offended some people because as a child I was taught to read music and to write in cursive. For me it is like falling off a log and I have lost perspective on the challenge of learning to sight read. I have found that reading music is easy, but what isn't easy is how to interpret and apply what you've read. For example, I mostly compose in E. On a linear uke there are three E4 voices. Which one do you use? And based on your choice of the E all the subsequent notes change as well. Otherwise you're jumping all over the fretboard in a very un-optimized fashion.
The progress is fine. I'm using the Curt Sheller ukulele sight reading book, which amazingly is the only one out there.

I also bought a violin e-book on sight reading (just $2.99) and converting the notation from GDAE to GCEA. Writing out music notation is a major positive step forward, coupled with the muscle memory of physically practicing.

The violin e-book uses the teaching method used for centuries and coming from classical guitar lessons, I learn faster with the old way of learning to play a musical instrument. It includes mixed note values and tied notes. It covers the first 4 "frets".

I was also taught cursive writing in grade school using fountain ink pens. Reading cursive is easy for us. I lost the ability to write some lower case letters, so i bought a cheap book of cursive writing instuction.
 
Top Bottom