Music is complex in its own right, but learning how to read sheet music and other important skills allows a person to break the barrier from novice to fluency as well as comprehension. Here are a few links to get the incoming novice started!
These websites are a BIG help to get someone from the novice stage to a proficient level or beyond. It just depends on how much effort an individual is willing to put into learning the material. In short, have fun with it! All the resources listed will help you as well as the videos, articles, and guides on this website.
Highly Recommended
There is a quiz on the website that will let the aspiring composer know what theory level they are at. These videos are made by MusicTheoryGuy on Youtube and he does a nice, clear job of covering essential materials.
Another website that builds from the very basics to the ground up.
Highly Recommended
This is an open-source textbook full of theory pages. The chapters are laid out in front of the viewer, so he or she can pick and choose what they want to study or look up.
A basic overview of music and how to read notes. This is mostly recommended to those that don't know anything about music.
One of the default standard sites to go to, MusicTheory.net provides a beginner with the basics of music.
*Optional (but good)
These are theory workbooks provided by MMTA that anyone can use. The books go from theory levels 1 to 8. It costs money to buy the books and they range from $8 to $12 a piece.
These articles encompass chords, mixing, and essentially the things someone needs to know to get the ground running. It also shows how to make a piece more interesting, formatting orchestral scores, and a lot more. Explore and have fun looking around!
There are a decent amount of YouTubers that cover music theory. Some are good at what they do. Some lack the explanation of jargon. These youtube channels are great resources to look at and there are plenty of other hidden gems on Youtube that anyone can check out.
Here are some videos made for Musescore beginners. Other videos are found on their appropriate pages in the music theory sections on the website.
Parts (Starting Time):
0:45 - Part 1 - Note Input and Palettes
12:50 - Part 2 - Dropdown Menus
21:26 - Part 3 - Creating Templates and Switching Instruments
26:21 - Part 4 - Creating Parts and Exporting File Formats
29:20 - Part 5 - Repeats, Codas, and Looped Playback (go to 32:31 to skip the example)
35:39 - Part 6 - Swap with Clipboard
37:26 - Part 7 - Regrouping Rhythms and Other Topics (MIDI keyboard tips and setting Preferences)