Reading a ScoreHow a full score is organised, and where to look for what.MusicAn orchestral score stacks every instrument playing at that moment, in afixed order.1Woodwind, at the topFlutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons — highest to lowest within thefamily.2Brass, below themHorns, trumpets, trombones, tuba.3Percussion and timpaniTimpani first, then unpitched percussion, then harp and keyboard.4Voices, if anySoloists above chorus, both above the strings.5Strings, at the bottomViolin I, Violin II, viola, cello, double bass.NAVIGATINGBar numbers appear at each system, or at rehearsal lettersRehearsal marks are the standard way to restart in a rehearsalA cue is a small-print line from another instrument, for counting inTransposing instruments are written at their own pitch, not concertpitch. The score names the key at the left.Reading a Scorelearnposters.com
Reading a Score — printable music wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

Reading a Score, step by step

An orchestral score stacks every instrument playing at that moment, in a fixed order.

  1. Woodwind, at the topFlutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons — highest to lowest within the family.
  2. Brass, below themHorns, trumpets, trombones, tuba.
  3. Percussion and timpaniTimpani first, then unpitched percussion, then harp and keyboard.
  4. Voices, if anySoloists above chorus, both above the strings.
  5. Strings, at the bottomViolin I, Violin II, viola, cello, double bass.

Navigating

  • Bar numbers appear at each system, or at rehearsal letters
  • Rehearsal marks are the standard way to restart in a rehearsal
  • A cue is a small-print line from another instrument, for counting in

Transposing instruments are written at their own pitch, not concert pitch. The score names the key at the left.

Questions about the Reading a Score poster

What’s on the Reading a Score poster?
5 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. An orchestral score stacks every instrument playing at that moment, in a fixed order. Woodwind, at the top — Flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons — highest to lowest within…; Brass, below them — Horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba.; Percussion and timpani — Timpani first, then unpitched percussion, then harp and keyb…; Voices, if any — Soloists above chorus, both above the strings.; Strings, at the bottom — Violin I, Violin II, viola, cello, double bass.. Transposing instruments are written at their own pitch, not concert pitch. The score names the key at the left.
Who is the Reading a Score poster for?
Reading a Score belongs to the Music section rather than to a school year, because music is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning notation can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the Reading a Score poster?
Find your own line first, then the bar numbers, then the cues. In that order. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Reading a Score belongs on the wall where that music work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Reading a Score?
Accidentals, Articulation and Dynamics & Tempo sit alongside Reading a Score in the Music section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.AccidentalsArticulationDynamics & Tempo
Is the Reading a Score poster free to download and print?
Yes. Reading a Score downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Music section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Reading a Score poster print at?
Reading a Score is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Reading a Score loses nothing.Printing guide

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