Annotating Sheet Music

Annotating Sheet Music

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Tips and tricks for becoming a smarter vocalist.

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Introduction

In this course, you will learn three major ways you can improve your ability to take in more information during rehearsals and stay up-to-date on all of the notes your director gives you. Through these short, digestible lessons you will be well on your way to becoming the most effiecient vocalist in your choir.

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01

Writing in measure numbers.

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01

Writing in measure numbers.

One of the most common reasons your choir director will stop your rehearsal is because they want to look closer at a specific section of the piece of music. In order to reference this in a quick way is to use measure numbers. Measures are defined as "defined segments within the composition that contain a specific number of beats." (https://promusicianhub.com/what-are-measures-music/) In the next slide, you'll be able to watch a short demonstration on how to write in your measure numbers.

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01

Writing in measure numbers.

First, watch the video on the left to learn more about what a measure can look like and a little more on how they work in a piece of music. Now that you know a little more about what a measure is, you can start numbering them.The easiest way to do this is to write your numbers on the left side of each measure. If it is the first measure of the piece, you will write "1" to the right of the key signature (sharps or flats at the beginning of the line). For the rest of the measures, you will write the correct number to the immediate right of the bar line before the current measure. Try it on your own on the next slide!

Congratulations! You have finished Module 1! Click "Next" to continue on to Module 2!

Step 3:

Step 2:

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Step 1:

Go to this website and download the first option for piano. (This should be the one that includes treble and bass clefs.) https://freeblanksheetmusic.org/piano/

Number your measures! Using the information you have learned in the previous slides, number your measures.

Make up your own measures! This doesn't have to be a complete or real melody. Just write in 4 notes, ending in a bar line, and continue doing that until you have a line or two of music.

Module 1 Exercise: Writing in measure numbers.

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02

Marking your breaths/dynamics.

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02

Marking your breaths/dynamics.

The next step to becoming a more efficient vocalist in rehearsal is by learning how to mark your breaths and your dynamics. Everyone has to breathe while singing at some point or another, but, most of the time, your director will tell you exactly where they want you to breathe. By marking those places where you are supposed to breathe, you can sing the song with ease and spend less time looking at someone else's music to learn where they are breathing. Another set of markings that you should familiarize yourself with are dynamic markings. These markings tell you when your director wants you to get louder/softer in the piece or they may even tell you NOT to breathe where you the piece told you to originally. All of these have their own markings and are super easy to learn. Click "Next" to learn more. AnA

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02

Marking your breaths/dynamics.

First, watch the video on the left to learn more about all of the different basic dynamic markings you might encounter during rehearsal. This video will also teach you some of the symbols you'll need to know.

Many pieces that you will sing in your choir rehearsals, no matter how easy or difficult they are, you will have to mark your dynamics and breaths in order to learn them as efficiently as possible. This will ensure that your director can get through their rehearsal plan as fast as possible. In order to mark your breaths, the easiest way is to put a long vertical line between the two notes you are taking a breath between. Now that you've learned some basics, let's try it out on the next slide. Click "Next" to get started.

Congratulations! You have successfully finished Module 2! Click "Next" to move on to Module 3.

Step 3:

Lastly, please make the following dynamic markings. 1. Draw a hairpin to indicate that you will be getting louder above measures 1, 5 and 9. 2. Draw a hairpin to indicate that you will be getting softer above measures 3-4, 7-8, and 11-12.

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Once you have written in your measure numbers, go ahead and make a breath mark (long vertical line) anywhere that you think you would need to breathe during this piece.

Click on the link here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f7_umJJZgscpQAmsatlTVyBQ-CMaU3eL/view?usp=sharing Once you have downloaded and printed out the "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" sheet music, write in your measure numbers. If you need some help, review Module 1.

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Module 2 Exercise: Marking your breaths/dynamics.

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03

Make your own unique markings.

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03

Make your own unique markings.

Now that you've made it to Module 3, you have learned all of the basics of musical annotation and how it can make you a smarter and more efficient vocalist. However, the basics can't cover everything. The rest of what you learn will come from your hours in rehearsal and time with your director. You may even be given some directions that you will have to mark in your music. But how? By creating your own unique markings! While we won't be able to give you a marking for everything, we can give you some common ones to get you started. Take inspiration from these symbols and come up with your own during the next rehearsal.

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03

Marking your breaths/dynamics.

Below are some common rehearsal directions that may require markings. Hold your cursor over the pink dots to learn more about how that symbol can be used in your rehearsal.

Course completed!