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is it common for pianists to study scores?

indeed, are they taught this way in conservatories?

what to study? what to analyze?

music studying could be so much more complicated than i thought... (coming from a non-music student)

I'm not sure about conservatories, because I'm still in high school. Personally, I study every score before I attempt the piece. The reason being is, I don't want to learn it incorrectly. After my teacher gives me a new piece, I go to the café with pencil in hand, and my interpretation notebook to see what I'm going to do with the piece. I look for melody, counter melody, the significance of the inner voices etc. I also try to find a brief biography of the composer in relation to the piece of music, so I can bring the composer back to life through his music properly. I learn music fairly quickly, so after about two weeks I should have an 8-10 pg piece under my fingers, then I go through it again, now that I've heard it with my physical ears, and not just my mental ears. After this, it takes me about another week or so to memorize the music, then I get the next piece of music, and while working on that piece, I practice the old piece daily until I'm satisfied.

Hope I answered your question!

Donald Lee

It can certainly help with interpretation. I tend to study the full orchestral score of a concerto, I wont learn from it obviously, but I like to know every instrumental part. I also, if a piece is rhythmically difficult (some stravinsky or something) I will learn to conduct it before I learn the notes.

The better you understand it the better you will be able to play I think. Studying scores is probably also useful is you want to compose yourself.

Pianists should study their scores at every level--though what that entails changes as the student learns more about theory. Beginning students start by clapping rhythms, looking for intervals, naming notes, finding what the melody is...more advanced students may analyze chord progressions with roman numerals, or even take a closer look at how the voice leading functions to bring a change in these progressions. Then there's always more advanced and in-depth analysis that you can do.

Whatever level you're at with your knowledge of music theory, study your score according to that.

i see. i have always been neglecting that. need to pick up this habit!

I 'perform' in a way for an choir/ensemble... it's plenty hard. I don't memorize readily and I find that studying away from the piano is incredibly helpful. I can actually memorize that way.. at the piano I can't. I think planning how one will play is invaluable.

I feel like score studying is a very important thing. I had a class in college called "Score Study and Styles." But it was completely pointless, and we didn't learn how to study scores. So I've been trying to learn about it myself.