Music Teacher Tip #25 - #ScoreStudy:
Where to begin when you score study?
a. The easiest way for the teacher to find challenging elements in a score is to sight-read the score by playing/singing all of the parts. If the teacher struggles, you can be sure the students will too.
b. Identify musical elements that may surprise/challenge your students like accidentals, meter changes, repeat signs, extremes in range, places where alternate fingerings may be needed, challenging articulations, difficult rhythms, awkward leaps, dissonances, unknown symbols, etc.
c. Plan to help students find repeated patterns in the score and also where those patterns vary. Help them identify which parts have the melody and which have supporting parts. Planning your lesson in a logical order will ensure student success and help them find meaning in the music.
d. Often you can find YouTube recordings of other ensembles performing your selected repertoire. These can be very instructive since most ensembles will commonly make the same errors in the same pieces. The measures where those ensembles struggle will likely be the same for your ensemble.
e. If your music is choral and has lyrics, be sure to research/study the meaning of the poetry. Students must also be able to effectively convey the meaning of the text. Reach out to the poet or the composer if you have trouble deciphering them. Check the liner notes of the piece too. Sometimes you will find great information there.
Happy teaching! đđ¶