The trouble with learning to read without a teacher is there is a tendency not to proceed with the learning in systematic way. I am currently immersed in learning to read treble clef guitar music i.e. chords and counterpoint. I started with an Easy Guitar pieces book and moved forward incrementally with 10 - 20 minutes practice a day. it is surprising how quickly you can progress with this approach. Reading music isn't any harder than reading words. You start with letters, then words, then phrases then sentences. Most of us try starting with Donna Lee and get the hump because we can play it but can't read it. Duh...