Improving handwritten notation

Hi, I searched the site for this topic but didn't find anything, so sorry if this is a repeat question.

I wonder if anyone has any resources for improving handwritten notation. Not as a final product necessarily, but mostly for sketching. I tend to be able to read my notation well, but it is a little wiggly at times and occasionally other people have trouble reading it. I'm fairly good at rhythmic spacing and drawing the actual notes. But beams really bug me and I'd love to pick up some pointers on other aspects as well. Are there any good web resources/tips? I have Gardner Read's book, but I'm really looking for something about the actual process of drawing things, not the technical details.

Practicing a lot might help. Just write everything out many many many times.

Then again, you could go the lazy route and upload a pic of your writing adn we'll critique it or something.

Two words: Straight. Edge.

I use a credit card.

However, for sketching and such, I hardly worry about the legibility of the thing...

Unfortunately at this point, practice isn't going to do much without further instruction. I've been writing like this for many years. It's not chicken scratch, but not as clean as I want either.

@robinjessome, I've heard of the credit card thing and I did use that for a while but I found it too slow for me. Any tips on speed? Oh, I also found that even just using the card to draw barlines made a big difference.

I've gotten my speed-writing down with lots of practice. For a copy I'd actually show to people, though, I use a straight-edge for everything. 6-inch steel ruler, that's my weapon of choice.

The Berklee book by Mark McGrain is really good for this!

My notation was actually much improved by using notation programs. The more I used them, the more my handwritten stuff improved simply by immersion. I guess it's much like using a word processor and written words where using set standard fonts will get one used to working with characters that are properly written.

Practice helps too...

I think we should all be like Beethoven and not care if other people can read sketches. As long as you can read it and you know that's what your reading is right then that's all that matters.