Everyone who watches my lesson videos and Video Exchange Responses knows that I use an iPad to read my sheet music. What you may not know is that I was actually one of the very first professional musicians to pioneer digital sheet music in performance, way back since 2001. In some circles, I'm known as the "paperless pianist" because I live a virtually paperless life.

One of the students here asked how she could use her tablet to draw markings on her music like I do in my Video Exchange lessons. The answer to that is a bit more complicated, because it depends on a number of factors:

1. What kind of tablet is she using?

2. What is the operating system?

3. What is the file format of the sheet music she wants to work on?

The answers to those questions will determine the best way to work with her music in a digital format - from drawing digital ink markings, to turning pages hands free, to a whole world of possibilities.

Sound confusing?

Fortunately, I actually wrote a book on the subject! From Paper to Pixels: Your Guide to the Digital Sheet Music Revolution was written to help musicians know all the essentials about digital sheet music. I try to share general principles that will help your digital investments withstand the test of time - after all, the very first digital sheet music I scanned 15 years ago still works perfectly on my state-of-the-art iPad Air and Microsoft Surface tablets today!

You can order From Paper to Pixels in paperback (if you're just not ready yet to make the "paperless leap") or as an eBook for Kindle or iPad.