Practicing: Part Four
MARK IT UP!
I don’t know who told you NEVER write in your music, but I’m here to tell you that IT’S OKAY:
MARK IT UP!
Write in:
Your counts and rhythms
Those annoying intervals
Your vowel modifications
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA…I’ll talk about that more soon!)
Your translation
Your dynamics
Circle/Highlight:
Your part
That pesky note you keep missing
The fermata
Draw:
That legato line in
That arrow to help you think a higher in pitch
That glissando (such a fun word!)
Have an anecdote? Write it in!
My favorite is: Don’t sing here!
Use those awesome Post-It Tabs
…The list goes on…
The point is:
It’s YOUR music.
You are the one responsible for learning it forwards and backwards.
You don’t have to apologize for marking up your score.
You don’t have to explain why you drew an arrow next to a note.
If any instructor/teacher tells you not to mark up your music - they are not qualified to be instructing/teaching music!
There is always going to be that one colleague that claims writing/marking up will ruin the integrity of the score. To which I say, “Are you a musician or a collector?!”
(Yes, I’ve worked with that person)
My scores are covered in highlighter, pen and pencil because I like having different layers. It helps my brain.
Here are two examples of two roles I am learning:
I mark up the crazy beats, highlight my role and or tempo. Use pen to emphasize emotions or remind myself of pronunciations, those pesky myself legato lines etc….
I’ll make copies of the character’s aria, mark them up fiercely and place them in my practice binder. That way I’m not dragging around several different (heavy) scores while learning different characters.
Remember:
There is no wrong way to mark up a score!
“So what if I learn my music on an iPad/tablet?”
Make sure whatever app/platform you use gives you the option to mark it up. Also, double check that your digital markings save.
I commend you for using an iPad/tablet. I truthfully can’t learn music as fast on a screen. I think it’s quicker to take out a pencil and circle something versus clicking here, there and then finally circling it digitally. (But I’m an elder millennial so…)
Remember, Practice Makes Progress. Happy Marking!
Happy Practicing!
Don’t forget to look for Practicing: Part Five soon.
My Practicing Tips series is available here for reference anytime :-)