Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Do you ever bring musical score to a concert?

There is a pianist giving a local concert. It is a fairly informal setting. The pieces she is playing are listed in the paper. I'm thinking of bringing the sheet music and following along as I listen to her play. I like doing this now with some You Tube performances.

Anyone ever done this? How strange is it?

I don't like to do it, and it's not real common but not rare either. I'd estimate that less than 1% of people do it, but more than 1% of 1% .....and that's enough for it to be OK for you.

Just make sure (of course) that your page-turning is essentially unobstrusive, including visually. If you can't do it completely quietly and extremely gracefully, don't.

And make sure to sit in the back.

I have a feeling that Piano*Dad admitted to this rather nerdy activity but I think I remember that it was at a competition which is different.

J&Smom, I like to read scores and listen but i've never done it in a concert probably because it wouldn't feel right, and I'm happy to be more in my head than reading. I have taken scores to rehearsal though, and this is great to do. If it's very informal you might get away with it if you are not sitting next to someone and can do the silent page turn as mentioned.

Off the subj.....but congrats on that cute little piano.

I used to - but not after youtube.

Never. I often follow along with the score when listening to recordings at home, but never in a concert. I'd much rather watch, and enjoy the event.

The more I think about it the more I want to try it. It is truly a casual setting. I wouldn't do it at Symphony Hall (or would I?). I think if I print out the scores on single sheets and have them in order then it should be easy to be unobtrusive. I feel like it will really help me appreciate the performance. Usually the pros seem so far out of my league that I can't even relate to what they are doing.

Great idea. (Really!)
As long as you don't drop them and have them go flying all over.

I would not do it. I would hope you are there to see the performance not what is on the page. I would also not want to be sitting next to you if you were turning pages. I think the performer deserves all of your attention and I don't believe that is possible if you are following with the score.

I often follow the music to songs at the monthly Ragtime Society meeting but this is a very informal meeting at a pizza restaurant and there is enough background noise that no-one would notice the sound of a page turning. I would not do this in a concert hall but in an informal setting it should be OK.

You're expressing a basic opinion about bringing a score (one which I share), not whether it's OK for him to do it. I thought the main thing he was asking was, may he, although indeed he's also asking just what we think of it.

I'm totally with your view. I find it hard to relate to wanting to bring the score to a concert, and I sure wouldn't want to be sitting next to someone like that either. In fact, if at all possible, I would move, and if I couldn't, unless he was truly unobtrusive with it, I'd say something to him. (Between pieces, I mean.)

But the fact is that some people find it meaningful to have the score and they do bring it and use it.

Somewhere...perhaps in a blog by a professional classical pianist...perhaps in a biography, I read that many performing artists hate it when people who sit right up front do this, as it's very distracting. However, if you can be unobtrusive, I guess it would be OK.

I, personally, would rather just focus on the live event.

I would think every performing artist would hate that, even the blind ones.

According to my experience, the seating in concert halls is pretty cozy. I would think a score-following neighbor would be an annoyance; also, the house lights are down during the performance, and unless you bring some kind of flashlight...

It would be perfectly appropriate to prepare for the performance by following a recording with the score--- that is a valuable learning tool.

Besides the lighting and the rustling, how would you know what edition the performer used?

I say, ix-nay on the ore-skay, and if you have to cough, wait for a fortissimo passage and use a handkerchief.

Yes, but......our guy isn't inventing something. The fact is that some people do do this. (I don't disagree with you on the basic idea of this kind of thing.)

People who bring the score don't care about that, and really neither would I if I brought the score (which I never would). There's all kinds of issues about editions, and I don't think this would be in the top 100.

I bring scores to orchestral concerts all the time. I turn the pages as quietly as possible - people who rustle their programs make more noise than I do. In many years of doing this, I have had one neighbor complain. Often, people behind me notice and make positive comments.

Good point. They need to be careful about that too.

LIKE WHAT?

...like: it was fun looking over your shoulder.

and: did they play any wrong notes?

If you turn the pages quietly I can't see how anyone should be distracted*. I don't usually look at what my neighbouring concertgoers have in their hands, or their lap. I think if I were sitting in the very front row, in the visual field of a soloist, I would be more careful, but that would apply to things like sudden movements, crossing or uncrossing legs etc just as much as (probably more than) having a score on my lap.

I don't do this (i.e. bring the score) but I can see no reason why one shouldn't. The only time I think I have used a score in a concert was during some performances of the Bach St Matthew Passion, where the audience was encouraged to sing along in the chorales. Just about everyone brought scores, and many followed throughout.

* unless they use a flashlight, as Jeff suggested!