Digital vs Paper Sheet Music – Should I Switch?

While many instruments haven’t really changed that much due to technology, a wide number of accessories and tools have. Today, piano teachers often make use of online videos, digital metronomes, and other tools to help their students learn how to play.
One new tool is digital sheet music. It can be a great replacement for traditional music, especially for students and teachers who have huge stacks of sheet music, practice piano lessons, chord charts, and more.
Many people found themselves storing these stacks of music just in case they ever needed them again. Even those who recycled a lot of their sheet music still had a lot of it saved for one reason or another.
Is digital sheet music, then, the wave of the future? Should teachers, students, professional musicians, and hobbyists make the switch? Here are a few of the pros and cons about digital sheet music to help you decide if you should make the change.

Digital Sheet Music Is Better for On-the-Go Players

Are you always running around with tons of sheet music in your bag, backpack, or even shoved into your guitar or violin case? If so, going digital can save you a lot of space. Just load up your tablet, laptop, or even your phone with what you need and you’re good to go.
You’ll have much less to carry. If you’re not sure what music you need, you can upload your entire library to the cloud using Google Drive or Microsoft’s OneDrive so you can access whatever you need no matter where you are.

You Save the Environment

Being environmentally conscious is more important now than ever before. While email and electronic submission methods have helped us cut down on the amount of paper used, the fact is we still use a lot of paper every day. By using digital sheet music, you can reduce your environmental impact. You can also create digital notes, charts, and set lists.

There’s No Fear of Losing Pages

Have you ever pulled out your set of sheet music only to find that you’re missing page three of eight? With digital sheet music, that’s no longer an issue. On the downside, of course, it does mean that it’s likely an all or nothing situation—either you’ll have the file with all of the pages needed or you won’t.

Don’t Worry About Turning Pages

Ever have your pages get stuck together or simply not have enough room for all of them spread out across your music stand? Digital music eliminates that issue, although you do have to get used to swiping across your tablet or other device.
However, some new software is actually able to listen to your playing and determine when it needs to switch to a new page, making it a truly hands-free process!

There Is a Learning Curve

Of course, using a device to read your sheet music is different from reading paper copies, and it will take some getting used to. In fact, it may feel like you’re learning to read sheet music all over again.
You won’t want to make the switch right before a big concert or any other event. Some orchestras may also not allow you to use digital sheet music—the light of your tablet or other device may be too distracting.
However, if you want to make the switch, it’s not that difficult. Find a time when you know you’ll be able to adjust to digital music and make the change. You’ll find it odd at first, but after a few times, it may seem like you’ve been using electronic pages for years.

Taking Lessons with Digital Sheet Music

Want to start learning using digital sheet music? Simply ask us about it when you reach out for information regarding music lessons.

Digital vs Paper Sheet Music – Should I Switch

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