This is a common question that a lot of people ask. In short, yes, writing the name of musical notes into your music will help you for several reasons.
1. Writing the names of your notes into your music is practice in and of itself.
This alone will speed up your note recognition process helping you to learn how to read them quicker.
I have noticed that students who take the time to write in their notes actually learn them faster than those who don’t.
In order to learn new information and put it into your long-term memory, you have to repeat it several times. That’s essentially what practice is…repetition.
Not all practice involves making sound or playing. Sometimes your most effective practice may be away from your instrument.
2. Writing in the names of your notes will save you time and frustration.
Forcing yourself to play music without being able to recognize any of the notes on the staff instantly is almost like abuse.
You can’t expect yourself to be able to do this right away. Like most everything, it takes time.
Give yourself some grace and write them in. Now, you will be able to play the music a little bit easier.
3. Notes written into your music will help your brain associate the letter name with how it looks on the staff.
Placing the letter name right next to the notehead will speed up your note recognition and processing time. This is a great way for your mind to associate the two things together a lot quicker.
In general, writing in the name of musical notes into your music will be worth your time and beneficial to your overall growth.
Don’t be afraid to take the time to do this. Resistance to this process may mean a slower rate of learning.
