Why Study Braille?

Many young music students are auditory learners. This can be especially true for those who are blind. Besides a strong musical ear, music literacy is just as important for a well-rounded education. Braille provides students with the freedom and autonomy to learn music independently, from the book, without relying on someone to teach them note by note—just like sighted musicians. This skill is something they will have for the rest of their lives.

What is Music Braille?

Music braille is a tactile code that represents printed music. It repurposes the same signs used in the English braille code. To avoid confusion, it’s important that the student is proficient in Grade 1 literary braille before starting to learn the music code (proficiency usually happens around the age of 9).

For Aspiring Braille Teachers

Teaching music braille is rewarding—it reshapes the way we think about music, memory, and the architecture of teaching. Becoming a braille teacher involves mostly self-directed study, but there are several helpful tools for learning the code itself: free coursework available through the Library of Congress, this new free training program from UEB, and a similar paid course for those who desire a little more structure.

Piano music in particular can be done in three different formats, the most common being bar-over-bar.

On this page, you will find access to scores, texts that I used to study the music braille code, and resources for braille music students—and any teacher curious about, or presented with, the wonderful chance to delve into music braille.

This section introduces tools that convert printed music into braille—either automatically, or with a little guidance. If you’ve ever used notation software like Finale, Sibelius, or MuseScore to create sheet music, you’re already familiar with the process. The key difference is in how you export the file.

Instead of printing your score as a PDF, braille conversion tools need a format called MusicXML. When it’s time to print your piece, you’ll choose File > Export > MusicXML (or a similar path to get to MusicXML). The resulting file will end in .musicxml and it contains all the musical data—notes, rhythms, dynamics, lyrics—in a format that braille software understands.

For example, a project called YourSong will export as YourSong.musicxml

Once you have the MusicXML file, you can run it through one of the tools below to generate a braille-ready file called Braille-Ready Format, usually ending in .brf. That BRF file can then be embossed (printed on a braille printer) or read on a digital braille display.

You can also use the same notation software—Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore—to export other file types like MIDI or WAV, for use in audio programs such as Cubase.

Helpful articles from the DAISY project:

Engraving (notation) guidelines for preparing a print score for conversion into braille.
Introduction to tools for automated braille music transcription.