Braille music tutor books and reference materials

Information about Braille music tutor books and courses

Learning braille music – for sighted learners

The Music Advisory Service have written a Braille Music Course in ten lessons with exercises for sighted people who have knowledge of literary braille and an understanding of stave notation. It is specifically aimed at classroom assistants, music teachers and instrumental teachers supporting blind pupils.

The course is designed to cover the notation currently required by students studying general music in schools up to and including AS standard (Highers in Scotland). In doing this, it will also be suitable for supporting instrumental teachers working with melody instruments to about Grade 5 standard. It does not cover notation used by keyboard and pianists where suitable tutors are available.

We welcome your feedback and would love to hear from anyone who has used the course to support a blind musician using braille music. Please contact the Music Advisory Service by telephone on 0121 665 4224 or by email to [email protected]

Please note that this course is written in Standard English Braille (SEB). An updated version in Unified English Braille (UEB) is in production.

Braille Music Course (Word, 319 KB)

Braille Music Course answers in Word (Word, 384 KB)

Learning Braille music - for blind learners

Braille Music for Beginners by Joan Partridge

A piano tutor for beginner pianists which teaches the piano and the braille music code in parallel, taking the student to about Grade 2 standard.

Product code: TC20011 (print) or 25282902 (Braille).
Price: £9.25

A Guide to Braille Music Notation by Edward Watson

Updated in 2009, this guide uses mainly keyboard examples and is suitable for obtaining a general knowledge of the code to A-level standard. There are plenty of examples but no exercises.

Product code: TC20278 (print) or TC20279 (Braille).
Price: £10.50

A course in Braille Music by Maeve Smith

This course is suitable for beginners of all ages wishing to learn braille music. It is keyboard orientated but not a piano course, and will introduce most of the notation needed up to AS level with lenty of exercises. Available from St. Josephs Centre for the Visually Impaired Publications Ltd.

Focus on Music by Lisette Wesseling

This is published by Musicians in Focus, and is available from Technovision.

Who's afraid of braille music? by Richard Taesch and William R. McCann

Available from Dancing Dots.

Braille music reference materials

The “New International Manual of Braille Music Notation” (revised in 1996) compiled by Bettye Krollick, published by SVB, Amsterdam, 1997, ISBN: 90 - 9009269 - 2. , is a full guide to the current braille music code for reference purposes. It covers general, instrumental and vocal music. It contains illustrated examples, a useful index of signs and the order of their use. An accessible electronic version can be downloaded below. It is recommended that you have a Braille font installed on your computer to read the Braille examples.

Books for learning how to transcribe braille music from RNIB

Both of these books are available to order from the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or [email protected].

Braille Music Training Manual, RNIB

Compiled and Edited by Jane Ware.
RNIB: Peterborough (2002)
ISBN: 1 85878 5553
Product Code: TC 21039

Braille Music Layout Manual, RNIB

Compiled and Edited by Jane Ware
RNIB: Peterborough (2002)
ISBN: 1 85878 5561
Product code: TC 21038