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From Notation to Performance

Understanding Musical Scores

Emily Chambers, Naomi Barker, and Catherine Tackley

Week 1Understanding the principles of musical scores Week 2Pianists and piano scores Week 3Musical collaboration and the role of the score Week 4Understanding orchestral scores Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is intended for anyone with an interest in music. You do not need to be able to read musical notation or play an instrument. You can use the hashtag #FLmusicalscore19 to talk about this course on social media.

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Reviews summary

Understanding musical scores for beginners

According to learners, this course is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in music scores, particularly those with no prior musical knowledge. Students highlight the clear and engaging explanations and how the course effectively helps them understand how notation translates to performance. While some felt it lacked depth for those with existing music theory, the overall feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with many finding it a fascinating and highly recommended starting point.

Helps connect scores to performance.

"Really helps bridge the gap between seeing the notes on the page and hearing the music."

"I learned so much about how musical notation works and how performers interpret it."

"Now I have a basic grasp of what a score represents."

"It demystifies scores and makes classical music listening even more rewarding."

Instructor explains concepts effectively.

"The content was delivered in an engaging way..."

"The explanations are clear and engaging."

"the presenter was excellent."

"Very clear and engaging."

"Clear, concise, and makes complex ideas accessible."

Provides a solid introduction to scores.

"An excellent course which explains scores so that even without any musical knowledge it is easy to understand."

"Highly recommended for anyone curious about scores, even if they don't read music."

"Excellent starting point for understanding how music is written down. It's truly for beginners with no prior knowledge..."

"Absolutely brilliant for someone like me who has zero musical background."

May be too basic for experienced.

"It was good, but it lacked in some depth."

"Could have gone a bit deeper, but for a free course, it's very good."

"It felt a little too basic for me... Good for absolute beginners though."

"Lacks a bit of depth on specific notation nuances, but maybe that's outside the scope."

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Learners who complete From Notation to Performance: Understanding Musical Scores will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 42 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in From Notation to Performance: Understanding Musical Scores.

Harmony and Voice Leading

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Comprehensive and authoritative treatment of the harmonic materials of music. It provides a clear and concise explanation of the basic principles of harmony, and is an essential resource for any musician who wants to learn about harmony.

Harmony and Voice Leading

Hardcover

$$$$

Harmony and Voice Leading

Hardcover

$$$

From Notation to Performance

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Understanding musical scores for beginners

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