Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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To braille music or not to Braille music? (self.Blind)
submitted by musicman5464
So I just had a thought. A few times in my life I have been told that, as a blind musician, it would be Worth my while to learn how to read and write using braille music notation. In truth, I can see why these thoughts have come forward. Braille music would enable a blind musician to more easily learn a piece of music, or else right one of their own. However, there's a catch to doing this. In order to read Braille music (and indeed, Braille itself) you need to use both hands. For looking at/learning a vocal line, this isn't a big deal, but if you want to study, say, Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 17 in G-major, KV453," it's a bit more of an issue. Finding where you stopped reading the music to play a particular line is a very tricky business and makes learning a peace like this a lot harder than it needs to be.
Another problem one might deal with in Braille music is, quite simply, storage. Not everyone can afford to purchase a Braille display, which leaves only books of scores, and those aren't exactly spaceSaving things. A work like G. F. Handel's "Messiah" could conceivably take up at least 2 or 3 volumes by itself...And that's just one score.
Those are just two of my thoughts on this subject, however. I would dearly love to know what the rest of you guys think about this.
Another problem one might deal with in Braille music is, quite simply, storage. Not everyone can afford to purchase a Braille display, which leaves only books of scores, and those aren't exactly spaceSaving things. A work like G. F. Handel's "Messiah" could conceivably take up at least 2 or 3 volumes by itself...And that's just one score.
Those are just two of my thoughts on this subject, however. I would dearly love to know what the rest of you guys think about this.
CanonofGlass 7 points 3y ago
There's also the issue of not being able to briefly glance at your paper while you're practicing like a sighted person would be able to.
You'd have to memorize an entire piece bit by bit which is still what I do because I learn my music by ear.
You'd have to memorize an entire piece bit by bit which is still what I do because I learn my music by ear.
Marconius 3 points 3y ago
I tried learning braille music through Hadley a few years ago after going blind and after having learned braille. It was an atrocious experience and I had to stop before getting to actual piano pieces. You'd learn the notation structure and think you had the hang of it, then dynamics and everything else would start getting added in and make everything extra inefficient and confusing. I'd like to see a form written with just the notes and none of the dynamics or other notations, much like guitar tabs, just so the confusion is reduced and I can develop my own method of play. I just need to know the notes, not everything else, and as far as I've seen, that doesn't exist in braille form. Ultimately, it's just not worth the headache.
CloudyBeep 0 points 3y ago
You could ask a transcriber preparing music just for you to include the notes.
Marconius 1 points 3y ago
I'm not a professional musician and don't have a transcriber. If I were to get braille music, I'd be getting it through BARD or the library, and that is all transcribed in full music braille form with all the annotations, dynamics, and everything else that just gets in the way. Similar to another point in this thread, if I got a custom music book for every piece I want to learn or re-learn from what I used to know in my sight-reading days, that would take up a stupid amount of space and be largely unsustainable, plus costly to get it all printed in Interpoint.
BlueRock956 2 points 3y ago
Hi, I play quite a few instruments, but I don’t read Braille music at all. This is alright for me, because I’m not a professional musician.
If you are playing in a rock band, and nobody in the band is reading music, you’ll do just fine.
If you are playing with an orchestra and everyone is reading their parts, you’ll have to read the music too.
If you are playing in a rock band, and nobody in the band is reading music, you’ll do just fine.
If you are playing with an orchestra and everyone is reading their parts, you’ll have to read the music too.
RJHand 2 points 3y ago
I personally think its a waste of time, but I also have perfect pitch so learning by ear isn't a problem for me. For many it is though, so nothing wrong with learning it. You'll have to memorize regardless of which method you use, there's not really a way around that.
Braille music would especially be helpful for those doing film scoring or really any score writing in general. Using software alone with a screen reader such as Sibelius with jaws works for the most part, but as far as I understand there's no way to see how the bar markings and cord symbols line up so you'll often have overlaps. I imagine this is one area of music where braille music would come in handy, really any composition job like this that would, as far as I know, require a score copier otherwise. It might still with braille music too actually, I'm not too sure. If your just using it to learn music on an instrument or something though, I wouldn't bother, but just my opinion.
Braille music would especially be helpful for those doing film scoring or really any score writing in general. Using software alone with a screen reader such as Sibelius with jaws works for the most part, but as far as I understand there's no way to see how the bar markings and cord symbols line up so you'll often have overlaps. I imagine this is one area of music where braille music would come in handy, really any composition job like this that would, as far as I know, require a score copier otherwise. It might still with braille music too actually, I'm not too sure. If your just using it to learn music on an instrument or something though, I wouldn't bother, but just my opinion.
AmAsabat 1 points 3y ago
I like to read music, especially when I am listening to something I’m about to learn. Learning is worth it in the long run.
musicman5464 [OP] 1 points 3y ago
You guys have all made some very, very good points. I myself tried learning braille music a couple times when I was younger, but… It failed. It would be helpful for scoring, but… Not much else.
rkarl7777 1 points 3y ago
I'm not familiar with Braille music notation. I would expect that it can handle notes, durations, and simple dynamics, but what about the myriad of other music symbols? Crescendos, decrescendos, accents, staccato, legato, tenuto, various ornaments & grace notes, long phrase marks, etc.? How much information is lost when transcribing a score to Braille?
RJHand 1 points 3y ago
There all there as far as I know, but that's one issue with it is there's so much to memorize. Its like learning an entirely new code. Its not really too similar to nemith or letters in general I find.
CloudyBeep 1 points 3y ago
Sighted musicians also have to learn these symbols.
musicman5464 [OP] 1 points 3y ago
These are very good points.
djflex90 1 points 3y ago
It’s also not super easy for the average bedroom musician to have specific pieces Braille’s me thinks. I tried Braille music a few years ago. Couldn’t get used to it
HDMILex 0 points 3y ago
I'd love to learn braille music.
Unfortunately I just don't really use braille anymore (I know, shame on me!) so I personally wouldn't bother learning another language when it's just so much easier to use audio.
Unfortunately I just don't really use braille anymore (I know, shame on me!) so I personally wouldn't bother learning another language when it's just so much easier to use audio.
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