Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Reading Music (self.Blind)
submitted by AluminiumAwning
I’m visually I’m-aired, and play bass. I recently joined a small local orchestra and the music is distributed as PDF files. I’ve found my nystagmus makes it hard to tell which line of the stave the note is on, so I colour-code them on my iPad. My problem is that even zoomed in the music is too small and I’m craning my neck over the iPad on the music stand making it hard to play.
Does anyone have any tips or technologies that can enable the visually impaired to read music more easily?
Does anyone have any tips or technologies that can enable the visually impaired to read music more easily?
kaishawna 4 points 1y ago
Have you ever tried braille music? It's a bit hard to learn at first but makes it a bit easier for you to read because it doesn't rely on technology. You just have to memorize notes and other things
MusicLover035 3 points 1y ago
Not OP, but do you know any good ways of learning braille music? I'm trying to learn right now, but no one really knows how (from what I've talked to people about it) :)
kaishawna 1 points 1y ago
Well, it's like grade two braille but some of the signs are for the musical representation of the notes, dynamics and other things from printed music. I know the notes, time signatures and dynamics. It's hard to memorize it, but as you practice it, you learn more. Just take it one day at a time.
trousers4all 2 points 1y ago
I am in a similar boat, so I’m commenting for visibility and support. I play piano and still have near vision (like 2-3 inches from my face) so I go measure by measure memorizing with a whole measure taking up my iPad screen.
AluminiumAwning [OP] 2 points 1y ago
That's the way it is heading for me. It would be nice to be able to see the current measure/bar and 1 or 2 after so I can see what is coming up. It is looking like I'm going to have to use something like MuseScore to recreate the music to suit that, but I'm not sure how to deal with stuff like repeats, alternate endings and codas.
QuentinJamesP89 1 points 1y ago
This is very similar to what I do. I haven't yet found a really good solution to reading music on the stand. Piano music is just so much more complex than other instruments and there's so much that needs to be seen at once and small markings that are easily missed. I basically need to memorize as I go as well, which means doing lots of sight reading for fun and practice is out.
AutomaticChair9 1 points 1y ago
There is a program called "$1" that is designed for low vision and blind users. I have never used it personally, so I'm not sure if a sighted person needs to create the music within the program but it might help!
AluminiumAwning [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Just took a quick look, looks promising. Thanks
QuentinJamesP89 1 points 1y ago
If you take a look at the Lime lighter program from Dancing Dots it's very similar to the set up I use with a large screen and page turner pedal. Check out modified stave notation as well. This is much more useful than braille if you still have some vision.
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