Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to read music
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Staff notation turns the dots, lines and symbols on a page into pitch and rhythm you can hear, sing or play. Beginners' courses start with the five-line stave, clefs, note values and time signatures, and need no instrument and no musical experience.
GentleUnder £100 / $130A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
What you learn
City Lit's Learn to read music covers clefs and pitch on the five-line stave, time signatures and metre, and rhythmic values organised into bars. By the end you should be able to identify common musical symbols, read pitch on the treble and bass clefs and find your way around a simple score.
Longer courses go further. OpenLearn's free course adds rests, scales, key signatures, intervals and triads, and is pitched at the level of Grades 1 to 3 of the ABRSM theory exams. Coconino Community College's class adds scales and common chord progressions, and gives students practice sheets and app and website recommendations.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenLearn (The Open University) | An introduction to music theory; online, about 8 hours of study; free statement of participation on completion | Free |
| City Lit, London | Learn to read music; online, four Monday evening sessions of 90 minutes (July 2025 run); for absolute beginners, with some homework | £69 |
| City Lit, London | Musicianship 1; in person, ten Tuesday evening sessions from 12 January 2027; suitable for absolute beginners, including people who play by ear | £229, or £160 concession |
| Coconino Community College, Flagstaff, Arizona | Learn to Read Music; in person, six 90-minute sessions over three weeks (June 2025 run) | $55 |
City Lit's Musicianship 1 leads on to Musicianship 2 the following term. Course dates change each term, so check the current run before you book.
How to start
- Try the free OpenLearn course An introduction to music theory to see whether you enjoy it.
- For a class with a tutor, look for a beginners' music reading or musicianship course at an adult education college or a community college.
- Keep manuscript paper, a pencil and an eraser to hand; City Lit asks musicianship students to bring all three.
Where to go
- OpenLearn (The Open University): An introduction to music theory, free course UK
- City Lit: Musicianship 1, listening and reading, pitch and rhythm (London) UK
- City Lit: Learn to read music (online) UK
- Coconino Community College: Learn to Read Music (Flagstaff, Arizona) US
We opened these links on 12 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Can I learn to read music for free?
Yes. OpenLearn's An introduction to music theory is a free online course of about 8 hours, with a free statement of participation if you sign up and complete it.
Do I need to play an instrument to learn to read music?
No. City Lit's Learn to read music needs no musical skills beyond being able to follow instructions in English, and its Musicianship 1 course suits people who play by ear and cannot yet read music.
What do you learn first when reading music?
Beginners' courses start with the stave, the treble and bass clefs, note names, note values and time signatures, then move on to reading simple rhythms and scores.
What grade is a beginner's music theory course?
OpenLearn's free introduction is pitched at the level of Grades 1 to 3 of the ABRSM theory exams.
Where this comes from: OpenLearn, An introduction to music theory; City Lit, Learn to read music; City Lit, Musicianship 1: listening and reading, pitch and rhythm; Coconino Community College, Learn to Read Music. Opened 12 November 2026.
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