HOW TO READ A SCORE

KNOWING THE SCORE

For this exam, you will need to know some of the conventions used in writing musical (particularly orchestral) scores. It is useful to know at a glance where to find information such as the speed and tempo of the piece of music, information on the compser, and dynamics and performance directions. You will also need to know the order in which instruments typically appear in a musical score. 

Scores usually have the title at the top of the page. Immediately below this (on the right-hand side of the page) is the name of the composer. If the lyrics have been written by someone other than the composer, the lyricist will be added below the composer's name. If the piece has been arranged by someone else, the arranger's name appears below the lyricist.

On classical scores, a cataloguing code often appears below the composer's name.

On the left hand side at the top of the score, we usually find some sort of tempo marking. Traditionally this would be in the form of an Italian tempo direction, but in modern music we increasingly find BPM markings. Often this might include an indication of the style of the music eg 'Tango', 'Bebop', 'Swing' etc.

On most orchestral scores, woodwinds will appear at the top, followed by brass and percussion. Then the string section, followed by piano, with vocals at the bottom of the score.

In more modern scores (like a jazz bigband), the order is usually

Woodwinds

Trumpets

Trombones

Rhythm Section (Guitar, Bass, Piano and Drums)

Vocals

In the example below, you can see some of the conventions commonly used. 

Copyright information, including the publisher is at the bottom of the page.