How to Learn Music from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginner

A simple step-by-step guide for learning music from zero, especially for new choir singers.

How to Learn Music from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

A lot of people secretly want to “learn music,” but what they really mean is:

If that’s you, this guide is for you.

It’s especially for:

• People who can sing along by ear but don’t understand what they’re singing
• New choristers who feel confused when they see tonic solfa or notation
• Adults who think it’s “too late” to start learning properly

Good news: it is not too late, and you don’t have to learn everything at once.
We’ll keep it practical and choir-focused.

What Does “Learning Music from Scratch” Really Mean?

Learning music from scratch does not mean:

• Becoming a concert pianist
• Studying thick theory books
• Memorising fancy Italian terms

For a chorister or church singer, “from scratch” usually means:

• Understanding high vs low notes
• Recognising basic movement like Do, Re, Mi
• Being able to feel and count beat
• Knowing how to practice a song on your own, not only in rehearsal

If you can do those four things, you are no longer “lost.”
You are learning music.

Step 1 – Start With Your Ears, Not the Page

Before any symbols or solfa, music is sound.

Pick one simple hymn or choir song you like. For a few days:

• Listen to it attentively, not as background noise
• Hum along with the main melody
• Try to notice:
  • Where the melody feels like “home” (the place it likes to settle)
  • Where it climbs (higher) and falls (lower)

You are training your ear to notice movement, not just enjoy sound.

Step 2 – Understand Basic Pitch: High and Low

You don’t need note names yet. Start with high vs low.

• Sing a comfortable note and hold it
• Slide your voice higher (like a gentle siren)
• Then slide lower (like a deep “hmm”)

That’s pitch.

In choir terms:

• Higher notes often sit in Soprano / Tenor space
• Lower notes often sit in Alto / Bass space

Mini exercise:

1. Pick a short line from a hymn
2. Sing it once in a comfortable range
3. Sing it slightly higher
4. Sing it slightly lower

You’re teaching your brain:
“Music moves on purpose. It’s not random.”

Step 3 – Meet Tonic Solfa (Just the Basics)

Now we give simple names to those movements.

Tonic solfa uses these seven main syllables:

At this stage, you don’t need to understand keys or modulation. Your goal is simply:

• Sing them in order going up:
  Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
• Sing them in order going down:
  Do Ti La So Fa Mi Re Do

Do this slowly, without forcing your voice.

A simple daily drill:

• Pick one comfortable starting note
• Sing Do → Do’ (up and down) a few times
• Focus on remembering the order and keeping it smooth

Step 4 – Learn to Feel and Count Beat

Music has two main sides:

• Pitch – how high or low
• Rhythm / beat – when it happens

Many beginners can copy pitch but get lost in timing.

Start by feeling the beat:

1. Put on a hymn or choir song
2. Clap or tap your leg steadily to the pulse
3. Say out loud: “1 – 2 – 3 – 4” with your claps
4. Notice where the words land on those counts

Then learn basic long vs short:

• Some notes feel quick, some held, some very long
• You don’t need names like “crotchet” yet; just notice length

Simple exercise:

• Take one line of lyrics
• Clap a steady beat
• Speak the words in rhythm while clapping

You’re telling your body:
“Music moves in a pattern, not in chaos.”

Step 5 – Connect Solfa and Beat to Real Songs

Theory only becomes real when you attach it to actual music.

Pick one very simple hymn with tonic solfa written out (for example, from ChoirScript).

Practice in small pieces:

1. Listen to the melody a few times
2. Clap the beat while listening
3. Sing the melody on “La” only (no words, no solfa yet)
4. Then sing the same line using solfa (Do Re Mi…)
5. Finally sing with the real words, but feel the solfa and beat underneath

Don’t attack the whole song at once. Use:

• First line only
• Then first two lines
• Then a verse and chorus over a few days

You are slowly connecting:

This is where having clean ChoirScript scores makes life easier.
You’re not guessing blindly; you can see what you’re hearing.

Step 6 – Build a Simple Weekly Practice Plan

To learn from scratch, you don’t need 2 hours every day.
You need 10–20 focused minutes, a few times a week.

Example beginner plan (3 days a week):

Day 1, 2, 3 (e.g. Mon, Wed, Sat)

1. 5 minutes – Solfa warm-up
   • Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do (up and down)
   • Start on a note that feels comfortable
   • Some days start a bit higher, some days lower
2. 5–10 minutes – One simple song
   • Clap the beat while listening
   • Sing the melody on “La”
   • Sing the first line in solfa
   • Then sing with words
3. 3–5 minutes – Quiet listening
   • Play the same song
   • Follow the solfa or lyrics with your eyes
   • Notice high vs low and where the phrases “breathe”

If you stayed at this level for 2–3 months, you’d feel a huge difference in confidence.

Step 7 – Learn Gradually, Not All at Once

This is where many beginners fall off:
they try to understand everything in one evening, get overwhelmed, and conclude:

Instead, think in layers:

1. Layer 1: Ear
   • Listening, humming, recognising higher/lower
2. Layer 2: Simple solfa
   • Do Re Mi, small steps, basic patterns
3. Layer 3: Beat
   • Feeling pulse, clapping, long vs short notes
4. Layer 4: Real songs
   • Applying all of the above slowly to actual choir music
5. Layer 5: Deeper theory
   • When you’re ready, reading more about keys, fi/se/ta, etc. in articles like “What Is Tonic Solfa?” and beyond

You don’t need to “master” one layer before touching the next, but you should know which layer you are practising in that moment.

Music is like language:
you heard it first, then spoke it, then eventually read and wrote it.

Common Questions from Total Beginners

“Am I too old to start learning music?”

No. You may not become a child prodigy, but you can absolutely become:

• A confident chorister
• Someone who understands what they’re singing

Adults often learn faster because they’re more intentional.

“What if my voice is not beautiful?”

Music learning is about control and understanding, not just natural beauty.

With simple, consistent practice:

• Pitch control improves
• Tone becomes steadier
• You stop guessing and start knowing

The choir needs accurate, reliable singers far more than it needs “perfect” voices.

“Do I have to learn staff notation, or can I stick with solfa?”

In many choirs, tonic solfa alone is enough to:

• Learn your part
• Sing harmony
• Understand melodic movement

Staff notation is an excellent next step, but you don’t have to learn both at the same time. Start where your choir and your brain are.

“How long until I stop feeling lost?”

If you practice 10–20 minutes, 3 times a week, you can expect:

• After 1 month: less confusion, more recognition of patterns
• After 3–6 months: you follow solfa and beat more confidently in rehearsal
• After 1 year: you feel like a proper chorister, not a visitor

Consistency beats talent every time.

How ChoirScript Helps You Learn Faster

When you’re starting from scratch, the hardest questions are:

• “What should I practise?”
• “How do I know if I’m singing the right thing?”

Platforms like ChoirScript help by giving you:

• Clean tonic solfa notation for real choir songs
• Lyrics lined up with solfa, so you see how they match
• Pieces categorised by use, so you can start with simpler songs
• Scores you can revisit at home between rehearsals

Instead of relying only on memory or shaky recordings, you can:

1. Open a ChoirScript score
2. Clap the beat
3. Sing through the solfa slowly
4. Then add the words
5. Arrive at rehearsal already familiar with the song

You become the chorister who comes prepared, not the one who is always guessing.

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Stay Consistent

Learning music from scratch is not reserved for “talented people.”
It’s for anyone willing to take small, repeated steps:

• Wake your ears
• Learn basic Do Re Mi
• Feel the beat
• Attach everything to real songs
• Use simple tools like ChoirScript to guide you

If you haven’t yet, pair this guide with:

• “What Is a Choir? Structure, Purpose, and How Choirs Function”
• “What Is a Chorister? Meaning, Role, and Responsibilities Explained”
• “What Is Tonic Solfa? A Simple Guide for New Choristers”

Then pick one song, one scale, and start today.
Your future self – and your choir – will thank you. 🎶