| Modern sheet music comes in many different | | | | enough in its presentation of the intended |
| formats including the recent invention of digital | | | | harmonies, textures, figurations, etc. Sometimes |
| sheet music (often downloadable in the .PDF | | | | markings are included to show which instruments |
| Portable Digital Format) and it can be argued that | | | | are playing at given points. |
| at least in the Western world what was known | | | | While piano scores are usually not meant for |
| as printed music is now moving away from the | | | | performance outside of study and pleasure |
| paper format. Sheet music is different to | | | | (Liszt's concert transcriptions of Beethoven's |
| Tablature (a.k.a Tab or Tabulature) is a form of | | | | symphonies being a notable exception), ballets get |
| musical notation, which tells players where to | | | | the most benefit most from piano scores |
| place their fingers on a particular instrument rather | | | | because with one or two pianists they allow |
| than which pitches to play. | | | | unlimited rehearsal before the orchestra is |
| If a piece is composed for just one instrument / | | | | absolutely needed. They can be used also to train |
| voice (such as a piano or an a cappella song), the | | | | conductors. Piano scores of operas do not include |
| whole work may be written or printed as a piece | | | | separate staves for the vocal parts, but they |
| of sheet music. If an instrumental piece is | | | | may add the lyrics and stage directions above the |
| intended to be performed by more than one | | | | music.o A vocal score (a.k.a. piano-vocal score) is |
| person, each performer will usually have a | | | | a reduction of the full score of a vocal work (e.g. |
| separate piece of sheet music, called a part, to | | | | opera, musical, oratorio, cantata etc.) to show the |
| play from. This is especially the case in the | | | | vocal parts (solo and choral) on their staves and |
| publication of works requiring more than four or | | | | the orchestral parts in a piano reduction (usually |
| so performers, though invariably a full score is | | | | for two hands) underneath the vocal parts; the |
| published as well. The sung parts in a vocal work | | | | purely orchestral sections of the score are also |
| are not usually issued separately today, although | | | | reduced for piano. If a portion of the work is a |
| this was historically the case, especially before | | | | cappella, a piano reduction of the vocal parts is |
| music printing made sheet music widely available. | | | | often added to aid in rehearsal (this often is the |
| Sheet music can be issued as individual pieces or | | | | case with a cappella religious sheet music). While |
| works (e.g. a popular song or a Mozart sonata), in | | | | not meant for performance, vocal scores serve |
| collections (e.g. example works by one or several | | | | as a convenient way for vocal soloists and |
| composers), as pieces performed by a certain | | | | choristers to learn the music and rehearse |
| artist etc. | | | | separately from the instrumental ensemble. The |
| When the separate instrumental and vocal parts | | | | vocal score of a musical typically does not include |
| of a musical work are printed together, the | | | | the spoken dialogue, except for cues.o The |
| resulting sheet music is called a score. | | | | related (but less common) choral score contains |
| Conventionally, a score consists of musical | | | | the choral parts with no accompaniment.o The |
| notation with each instrumental or vocal part in | | | | comparable organ score exists as well, usually in |
| vertical alignment (meaning that concurrent | | | | association with church music for voices and |
| events in the notation for each part are | | | | orchestra, such as arrangements of Handel's |
| orthographically arranged). The term score has | | | | Messiah. It is like the piano-vocal score in that it |
| also been used to refer to sheet music written | | | | includes staves for the vocal parts and reduces |
| for only one performer. The distinction between | | | | the orchestral parts to be performed by one |
| score and part applies when there is more than | | | | person. Unlike the vocal score, the organ score is |
| one part needed for performance. | | | | sometimes intended by the arranger to substitute |
| Scores come in various formats:o A full score is a | | | | for the orchestra in performance if necessary.o A |
| book showing the music of all instruments and | | | | collection of songs from a given musical is usually |
| voices in a composition lined up in a fixed order. It | | | | printed under the label vocal selections. This is |
| is large enough for a conductor to be able to read | | | | different from the vocal score from the same |
| it while conducting rehearsals and performances.o | | | | show in that it does not present the complete |
| A miniature score is like a full score but reduced in | | | | music, and the piano accompaniment usually is |
| size. It is too small for practical use but handy for | | | | simplified and includes the melody line.o A short |
| studying a piece of music, whether for a large | | | | score is a reduction of a work for many |
| ensemble or a solo performer. A miniature score | | | | instruments to just a few staves. Rather than |
| may contain some introductory remarks.o A | | | | composing directly in full score, many composers |
| study score is sometimes the same size as (and | | | | work out some type of short score while they |
| often indistinguishable from) a miniature score, | | | | are composing and later expand the complete |
| except in name. Some study scores are octavo | | | | orchestration. (For example, an opera may be |
| size and are thus somewhere between full and | | | | written first in a short score, then in full score, |
| miniature score sizes. A study score, especially | | | | and then reduced to a vocal score for rehearsal.) |
| when part of an anthology for academic study, | | | | Short scores are often not published; they may |
| may include extra comments about the music and | | | | be more common for some performance venues |
| markings for learning purposes.o A piano score | | | | (e.g. by bands) than in others.o A lead sheet |
| (a.k.a. piano reduction) is a more or less literal | | | | details only the melody, lyrics and harmony, using |
| transcription for piano of a piece intended for | | | | one staff with chord symbols placed above and |
| many performing parts, especially orchestral | | | | lyrics below. It is commonly used in pop music to |
| works; this can include purely instrumental | | | | capture the essential elements of song without |
| sections within large vocal works (see vocal score | | | | specifying how the song should be arranged or |
| below). Such arrangements are made for either | | | | performed.o A chord chart or "chart" contains |
| piano solo (two hands) or piano duet (one or two | | | | little or no melodic information at all but provides |
| pianos, four hands). Extra small staves are | | | | detailed harmonic and rhythmic information. This is |
| sometimes added at certain points in piano scores | | | | the most common kind of written music used by |
| for two hands in order to make the presentation | | | | professional session musicians playing jazz or |
| more complete, though it is usually impractical or | | | | other forms of popular music and is intended |
| impossible to include them while playing. As with | | | | primarily for the rhythm section (usually containing |
| vocal score s (below), it takes considerable skill to | | | | the piano, guitar, bass and drums). |
| reduce an orchestral score to such smaller forces | | | | This article is licensed under the GNU Free |
| because the reduction needs to be not only | | | | Documentation License. It uses material from the |
| playable on the keyboard but also thorough | | | | Wikipedia article "Sheet Music". |