Score Study - What & How

[my44muse]

Hi I really need to get some techniques to refer to quickly inspire new ideas.
I'd really like to try score analysis. I've already collected the scores I'd like to study.

Is there any checklist (preferably online/print) of elements a student should analyse when practicing score study?

I've seen one for Conductors who study different aspects of scores than composers:
http://www.timreynish.com/condscore1.html

But still can't find a tried, tested and mechanical checklist of what & how to analyse scores to their maximum potential.

Also how about chops, what exactly are they? stock phrases? How does one develop them, how does this translate into score study?

[tehlord]

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=289336

[DrawMusic]

A "mechanical checklist" would be irrelevant to the creative, problem-solving approach which I think will get you real value from score study.

Start with a specific musical problem you're trying to solve. For example, you're composing and you get to a "what next?" point. Now study some scores looking for ideas for what they did in a similar situation. You won't need a mechanical checklist; you'll know what you're looking for.

Or, you hear something you like and want to understand how they did that, so you study the score. Once again, you already know what you're looking for.

[my44muse]

Hm, thanks guys I was afraid you would say that lol.

Basically, as you'd guessed I was hoping to do this mechanically because I figure you only get so much time to be academic, then you're in the rea; world and you gotta compose really fast, and don't have time to wonder 'where do i go from here'.

I've heard all these great sounding film composers saying '...I did the degree, and did score studying for awhile then started composing'.

Is this actually possible then? Or are they lying and probably did score study through the problem-solving approach?

[jancivil]

Hm, thanks guys I was afraid you would say that lol.

Basically, as you'd guessed I was hoping to do this mechanically because I figure you only get so much time to be academic, then you're in the rea; world and you gotta compose really fast, and don't have time to wonder 'where do i go from here'.

I've heard all these great sounding film composers saying '...I did the degree, and did score studying for awhile then started composing'.

Is this actually possible then? Or are they lying and probably did score study through the problem-solving approach?

Donno! But putting the degree first puts the cart before the horse. Go to the library at a university or even a community college and listen to recording with a score in hand, according to what you want to hear.

Somebody working fast = somebody who can improvise, which is somebody with a lot of musical experience = knowledge. Not merely someone who can spout a lot of information but the next level, a lot of experience = knowledge of what to do with some information.

Conducting is a deep study on its own, or can be, and while it's useful for a composer to get up and direct a group, you'll get bogged down with too much information that's not getting you 'composerly' understanding so much at this stage I think.

[VicDiesel]

I've heard all these great sounding film composers saying '...I did the degree, and did score studying for awhile then started composing'.

Is this actually possible then? Or are they lying and probably did score study through the problem-solving approach?

When I was much younger I got in the habit of lending both an orchestral recording and its score at the same time from the music library. Did that with dozens if not hundreds of works. Taught me any number of things.

I don't think you can go at this as purposefully as you describe "I have these scores, now I'm going to learn from them". Just start reading scores and let the knowledge seep into you. You'll have these moments "Ah, so that's how he did it", but first you need a frame of reference: you need to have seen a bunch of scores to recognize why a particular one is done so cleverly.

Victor.

[jancivil]

I went at it focused/purposeful; "this bit at the beginning of Le Sacre du Printemps, let's have a look at these woodwinds"; "let me try to sight-sing the opening high bassoon tune".

"What are these lush chords in Ravel's Daphnis?" "Check out the form, what he did with the treatment of the tune in the part-writing, like a puzzle in Minuet on the Name of Haydn". You can get some hints from liner notes, or elsewhere in the library since you're up in there.

And so forth. I wasn't trying to parrot Mozart, life's too short for that shit, for me. I wasn't going to be all musicians for all audiences in this lifetime.