Score Study

[@laura__6991]

Thank you so much! I teach elementary and middle school band lessons and the teacher I work with gave me permission to run rehearsal. I haven't learned this skill in college yet and this is very helpful.

Update: I've now used this system for over a year, and I can't imagine changing back to any other system. Thanks for sharing!

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Wow. That's cool. Thanks for the comment.

[@herdivinewealth]

This seems INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you for posting!

[@nope24601]

Frixion pens are my go-to. They can erase very well.

[@lukejuras8024]

Great video! I ordered the Battisti text. I think it was assigned or at least waved around at the front of the classroom back in my college days, and now I am moving into a teaching position that will require more demanding repertoire, therefore more precise and effective score study.

[@luisviquezmusic]

What a great video! As a professor of graduate conducting I certainly could see my class using this video on a regular basis! Thank you, Nathan!

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Thanks for the comment. Be in touch.

[@theingabo212]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for this video!

[@wyattwahlgren8883]

I had a masterclass with a composer, and he said it is important to study scores, so I looked up how to study scores and found this video. This can help me quite a bit.

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Go for it. Find your own way.

[@dianawolf894]

What am i suppose to do?

[@tzwola]

That's great! I'm going to try this system :D do you do less, since you're more experienced or you always follow this in a detailed way? And how about vocal scores? Any awesome tips? :D

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Thanks for the message. I would do vocal scores the same way. There are other factors including schools of thought to Chorus ensemble sound. If I have time, I pretty much complete everything laid out in the video. The flowchart takes the most time. At the moment, I find the score marking and phrase structure to be most helpful.

I'm really intrigued by the way you mark the score. I've struggled with what approach to use for a while, so I'm giving this concept a go. Is there any written material about this available anywhere?

[@raphaelroter]

Thank you. Very helpful! What happens when phrases start/end in the middle of bars? How to note that phrase structure?

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Make a choice that makes most sense to you. I will count the anacrusis as part of the next measure often.

[@misi1979]

Extremly helpful,clear. I wish I was found this video earlier but...anyway,Thank You!

[@martinszemberg-goldgraber8772]

Is it ok to learn scores by ear (if recordings exist) while aiding yourself with the score?

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Some would say no. Some would say yes.

[@caitlinbrock5959]

at 10:28 I'm looking at your flowchart (which I LOVE btw), but want to know more about why you color in certain boxes and what each color means in the flowchart. Thanks!

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Flowchart was made in Excel, used the 'style cells' to provide color. Specific colors do not mean anything, just grouped like-sections together with same colors. For time signature, slightly darker purple each time the change happens. for tempo, same thing in green. The colors for the 'Form' section group sections that belong together with the same color.

[@whatdyathink]

What do you do when you have a score that you can’t use colours in? Such as a rented score or a library score? I noticed that when I’m forced into a situation like this, it becomes a lot harder to learn now and I feel as though using colours has been a crutch

[@nathanmuehl1902]

good call. . . I wouldn't use colors , or mark a rented score. And when I do use colors, I try not to use it as something that I follow as a conductor, but rather as something I look at prior to conducting it to learn the score and get a mental image of it. If I don't have the mental image by rehearsal time, it really warrants more study.

[@connorskeeters8981]

What happens when there is a anacrusis within the phrasing structure? (idk if i phrased this right)

[@nathanmuehl1902]

You make a decision that makes most sense to how you will remember it. If the anacrusis is really part of the phrase connected to the next measure, I count it as being a 'part' of that measure.

[@changningxu3458]

I just started studying conducting and I have a lot of questions. But the one I want to ask the most is: should I try to imagine every instruments in my head when I study the score?? otherwise how will I know what sound I want during rehearsals?? Thanks!

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Yes, it is best to experiment with hearing every instrument. If you can build your skill to do so, you will have better rehearsals and performances.

[@changningxu3458]

@@nathanmuehl1902 thank you for your response! should I also try to hear entire sections playing together? Because that is very difficult and I don't know if it's possible. Thank you very much!~

[@nathanmuehl1902]

@@changningxu3458 It is very difficult. It is possible. I suggest the teachings of Marianne Ploger.

[@CarlosGSTU]

Template for Flowchart?

[@armandoteixeira3573]

hello nathan. THE SCORE ,THE ORCHESTRA ,AND THE CONDUCTOR( gustav meier) is a good book for a conductor?

[@nathanmuehl1902]

pretty good. check it out and let me know what you think.

[@armandoteixeira3573]

@@nathanmuehl1902, the book only talks about technique? or the book approach others things? Others ideas? Thanks

[@etherealnolan]

Great video! Thank you.

[@nathanmuehl1902]

Which part are you looking for written materials?

+Nathan Muehl Thanks for replying! I'm interested in knowing more about how you're marking the score. The dynamic markings, muted, pizz. and unmuted/arco makes perfect sense, so I'm curious about how you mark fp, sf and other instructions like dolce or staccato.

[@nathanmuehl1902]

+Åge Jan Barlund For fp, I put a red ( to the left of f and a blue ) to the right of p.... for sf, I put red ( ) around the sf.... I don't make any markings for dolce , staccato, or other articulations... for me... the black written indicators are sufficient enough.... I only mark as a tool to hear the score away from the rehearsal... and more colors than I mentioned start getting into color overload in my opinion

Thanks for elaborating! I think this way of marking the score is more intuitive than the concepts I've tried before, so I will try it for a while to see how it works for learning the scores.

[@donovick]

Excellent!

[@PosauneundPapier]

Genius

[@Vinicius.Passos.]

Great video! Thank you!