Sheet Music - Purpose and use Sheet music can be used as a
record of, a guide to, or a means to perform, a piece of music.
Although it does not take the place of the sound of a performed
work, sheet music can be studied to create a performance and to
elucidate aspects of the music that may not be obvious from mere
listening. Authoritative musical information about a piece can
be gained by studying the written sketches and early versions of
compositions that the composer might have retained, as well as
the final autograph score and personal markings on proofs and
printed scores. Comprehending sheet music requires a special
form of literacy: the ability to read musical notation.
Nevertheless, an ability to read or write music is not a
requirement to compose music. Many composers have been capable
of producing music in printed form without the capacity
themselves to read or write in musical notation—as long as an
amanuensis of some sort is available. Examples include the blind
18th-century composer John Stanley