Writing on your score

[sinspawnammes]

It bothers me when I write on my fresh Urtexts.  I usually make copies and make notes on those, but it becomes hard to keep track of everything.  Also, I tend to make more mental notes than notes on paper, which I'm sure slows me down when it comes to interpretation.

[pianistimo]

u may have a clearer page - and memorize ur notes better than me - but i NEED the notes in the score to remember sometimes.  it's just like my bible.  i have written notes in the sidelines of both with pencil (try not to with pen) or colored pencil.  u can always erase that.  something that's helpful, too, that someone else mentioned is enlarging the music and placing it around the house to meditate on.  i haven't done as much of that yet, but it kinda gets it in ur mind - i would imagine.

[mikey6]

So what's the question?

[lostinidlewonder]

There is no point reading music without your own personal notes on it. Unless you share you book with other people, this book will be with you forever and holds all your own directions to guide you through the music (fingerings, ways to memorise the score, sectioning up of the score into parts etc). Sure they might change over time so then write it in pencil. What is the point in having a brand new book with each with unmarked pages? You can buy those any time. If you want to have a pretty library of unmarked, unused books then do so, otherwise don't fear write on your page, its completes a part of your cycle of learning, it is a record of your work.

Good music readers never read every single note, so mark out how you observe groups of notes with one glance, I usually do this with color, highlighting groups of notes, putting a mark above the note(s) which act as a centre or balance point for the hand while playing the group and highlighting movement direction. Some people do nothing else but write in their fingering, I guess it is all personal but working out patterns to memorise your group of notes is important and should be written out in some way (your own symbols, words etc).

Making mental notes on paper slows you down with interpretation? What does that mean? I can't see the connection between writing mental notes and hindering intepretation playing a piece unless your writing has thing to do with what you actually have to do at the keyboard. All conscious actions either written, spoken or gestured which reinforce what your hands do will aid in your way to memorise or play music.

[bartolomeo_]

Heh.  They don't remain brand shiny new urtext editions for long.

I write all over them using a very soft pencil, and erase as necessary with one of those white synthetic erasers that doesn't smear.

One of the benefits of better editions is that the paper will withstand pencil erasures better.

[thalbergmad]

I like a score that looks like it has been used.

Some of mine are covered in pencil markings cigarette burns and wine stains.

Gives an old world kind of look.

Thal

[pianistimo]

old world?  now that's what i'll call the books of mine that don't even have the covers anymore - or break in half and i have one half of the book over here and the other half over there.  (as with my liszt ballades - it took a uyear to learn so long ago and i took the book everywhere).  i think my bach wtc is in half too.

[allthumbs]

I always scan the pieces I'm working on and print out a copy that I can write on.

I also tape the pages together so they open up like an accordion and I keep all my repertoire together in a folder that I can take with me to lessons or another place to practice or play.

[princessdecadence]

I always scribble on mine! Any "fresh Urtexts" won't be mine.  It's like reading a book, I always underline passages I like, if I don't make notes, so no page is a clean page in my book.

Always pencil though!

[thierry13]

There is no point reading music without your own personal notes on it.

I tend to hate having notes on my page. My teacher writes a lot, but never read it. I don't know... when i read the music, it's like a reflex to pass over any written-over information. All the notes and directions , I keep em in my head, works better for me...

[lostinidlewonder]

I tend to hate having notes on my page. My teacher writes a lot, but never read it. I don't know... when i read the music, it's like a reflex to pass over any written-over information. All the notes and directions , I keep em in my head, works better for me...

I think some notes should be rubbed out once you have no use for them anymore. For example excessive fingerings on the score, marks which highlight your problems areas etc. But certain directions on the score should be written on the score, for example how to describe a group of notes, perhaps highlighting that they are of a form of A major for example should be actually written down on the score and that group of notes highlighted or circled or whatever. Finding a way to draw direction and shape of notes that you play, sometimes highlighting which direction one shape moves or how shapes move from one to the other encourage memory. It takes us away from glancing at all the individual notes and encourages absorbing the score in larger and larger chunks. Most importantly it gets us away from the score and more looking at our hands.

I find when I return to pieces I haven't played for say 10 years, my own notes quickly renew my memory and I don't have to go through the process of observing the shapes again and making a mental note again, its all there for me if I forget. I guess its all up to your own prefference, but so long you encourage ways to memorise your music and don't just keep it all in your head, because it can easily vanish from there with time.
I have a student who writes in a journal what she does memory wise, for her that helps her to memorise her music, but I think it is inefficient because it's looking at two books just to memorise 1 piece of music! But again, whatever works for you.

[kaiwin]

Think of it this way,

Would you rather have notes in your music and improve a lot or don't have music in ur music and don't improve as much as you want.

You only have one life to live! 

[jas]

I like music to look used, not brand spanking new. It always looks slightly impersonal when it's completely spotless. Same with books - I have a friend who always tries not to break the spine, which I think is very strange. Mine are all in pieces (maybe I go too far in the other direction, though). Anyway, the paper the music's written on is supremely unimportant; what's important is the music you make, and if writing on your score helps you improve then that's what to do. Don't waste money on photocopies, that's what your score is there for!

Jas

[Waldszenen]

I'm one of those spotlessly clean people who cover their scores, are afraid to make even the slightest crease mark, and who cringe when there's a dog-eared page. And yes, I never write in my scores if I can help it. =)

[princessdecadence]

When I was much younger, I use to get all jittery if I have to play a piece with other people's sheets or completely new ones.  For some reason, I get very, very used to my scribbled ones (as I said earlier, I love writing on my music)