SCORE STUDY ACTIVITIES:
- Learn about the key signatures and clefs found in the score
- treble clef/bass clef
- transposing instruments
- Take a closer look at your Student Conductor score
- identify the major characteristics of your piece
- translate musical terms found in the score
- "marking" the score
- Learn and practice conducting:
- crescendo/decrescendo
- cues
- fermata
- Conduct the band through a warm-up or chorale (with band director approval)
Depending on your instrument, you've become proficient at reading at least one clef. The musical score that you've chosen for the FBA Student Conductor Assessment likely incorporates two clefs: treble and bass. It is important to be proficient at reading both of these clefs.
Transposing Instruments
**The following is a very basic explanation of transposition and transposing instruments - specifically for assisting the FBA Student Conductor in understanding the musical score. For those interested, much more detailed information and practice on transposition methods can be found in music textbooks.
You might wonder why there are different key signatures for some of the instruments in your score. These instruments are called "transposing instruments." For example: look at the Bb clarinet line as compared to the flute line. You should notice two different key signatures. This is because the Bb clarinet is a "transposing instrument." In order for the clarinet (or any other transposing instrument) to sound in the same key as the flute (or all other non-transposing instruments), the clarinet must be written in a different key signature.
Look at the example below. Notice the following:
1. the key signature for the flute line is "C";
2. the key signature for the Bb clarinet is "D"
3. the clarinet melody starts one whole step above the flute melody
This is all necessary for the two instruments to SOUND in unison.
This is valuable information if you, as part of your score-study, intend to play the individual instrument parts at the piano (a non-transposing instrument).
It is safe to assume that the piece you've selected (from the FBA Student Conductor music list) will include the following list of instruments transposing from the keys of Bb, Eb, and F:
Bb transposing instruments: (will explain more in WEEK 4)
- Bb clarinet
- bass clarinet
- tenor saxophone
- trumpet
- Eb clarinet
- alto saxophone
- baritone saxophone
- horn
The ability to transpose these instuments' musical lines into "concert pitch" will take much practice. At this point in your training, it is NOT imperative that you can perfectly transpose for each instrument at sight. However, it IS important to have a general understanding of transposition concepts and the continuing practice of those methods will do much for your musicianship. Therefore, WEEKs 4, 5, and 6 will each have some activities for basic transposition practice.
Taking a closer look at your score:
Identify the major characteristics of your piece
Style: What style(s) are evident in this piece? Is it dance-like? Folk-tune? Ballad?
Form: What is the overall structure of the piece? How many different sections of music are there? Are the various sections related in some way? For example, do they share a common rhythm or melody?
Key Signatures: Does the piece change key signatures? This is a good indication of an important moment in the piece.
Themes: In each section, can you identify the melody or most important part?
Define musical terms/markings
A major aspect of studying the score is understanding all the provided musical terms/markings. Go through each page of the score. Are there musical terms that you don't recognize/understand?
A music dictionary will be very helpful in defining most musical terms. Visit the Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary for a quality online music dictionary.
Marking your score
As mentioned before, the typical musical score has numerous lines of music occurring simultaneously. Therefore, it's helpful to "mark" the score to help draw your attention to a specific musical marking, instrument's entrance, or provide helpful reminders to you while conducting. There are many different opinions on how a conductor should make markings in his/her score. Most conductors use a normal #2 pencil while others use a variety of colored pencils (each color representing something different).
Two general suggestions for marking your score:
- Use ONLY erasable pencils. You'll want to be able to erase your markings.
- Be judicious with your markings. Don't overdo your markings so as to cover up any of the printed material - or detract from your reading of the music.
Conducting Exercises
Crescendo/Decrescendo
Cuing
Fermata
Fermata with indefinite space
Fermata with definite space
Connected fermata
Re-beaten fermata
Conducting the band
One day this week, ask your band director for permission to conduct the band through a warm-up or chorale at the beginning of rehearsal. Practice with the score until you're comfortable with all the gestures you will need to successfully conduct the warm-up or chorale. Before you conduct, set-up your video recording device in the back of the room aimed directly at the conducting podium.
Journal Reflection
Which of this week's gestural techniques came most naturally to you? Which techniques needed the most practice? Now that you've conducted the band through a warm-up or chorale, share your thoughts/concerns from that experience. Review your conducting video and provide a critique of your conducting. Were your gestures clear? Did the band follow you? What adjustments can you make to improve?
