Following along with scores

One of my minors at Berklee was conducting and one of the things I’d do in my free time is go to the library and follow along with scores. I’d find a recording and play it while following the music in the score.

I enjoy doing this, but it’s also an effective way to get used to reading orchestral music. Orchestra scores have anywhere from 7 to 30 or 40 staves so it can take some practice to get used to paying attention to so many different things.

When you start doing this you might just be able to follow along with one instrument or one line. That’s okay. Follow that one line and start looking at and following other lines as you listen. You can switch between lines that you’re following to give yourself some practice following different instruments. I liked to practice following the inner lines like the viola or the middle horns or a clarinet line if they weren’t playing the melody. This will give you practice listening for inner lines that might be harder to hear and will grab your attention less.

Once you get used to doing that try to follow along with two lines at a time. I suggest the bass or melody and any other voice. Those lines, bass and melody, will be fairly easy to follow so that might make it a little easier.

This might take some time depending on how familiar with reading music you are, but the more you follow scores the easier it’ll be.

Eventually you’ll be able to listen to a piece of music and imagine what the score would be, basically doing this the other way around. Doing that for the first time can feel a little strange because you’re hearing the music in a different way than you were before, but it can help you see music slightly differently.

Give it a try if you’ve got access to an orchestral score.

ISJ