Notation - musical scores
A score is what a performer reads to find out what notes to play and in what style to play them.
A score can range from a conventional musical score to graphic scores or lead sheets. The start of a musical score will show what instruments the music is for.
Orchestral scores
Orchestral scores are usually laid out according to instrumental family. The strings are at the bottom of the score, brass and percussion are in the middle, and woodwind is at the top. Here is an example of a score for the opening of Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No. 5:
Lead sheets
Lead sheets are often used in jazz standards and popular music. These have a melody line with chord indications on top. The accompanying instruments will be expected to improvise their accompaniments based on the chords indicated. Some lead sheets indicate improvisation with //// in the relevant bars.
Graphic scores
Graphic scores illustrate music in symbols or pictures.
Listen to this piece of music and follow the graphic notation that goes with it.
The words "The burning Thames" begin in the same way as "I must be going".
The dots indicate the approximate pitches, but not note duration.
Contemporary scores
Some contemporary scores require interpretation by the performer. For example, in Terry Riley's in C, performers may choose musical cells to play, and how many times to play them, before moving on to a different cell. This is an example of Music that is based on chance and the performers' choices. music.