Lesson 73: Contemporary Work, Part 1 — Reading Modern Notation

• Explain the symbols in a modern recorder score before playing it.
• Play a short passage while keeping its fixed timings and choices clear.

Read the instructions before choosing the sound.

A modern score may use familiar notes, new symbols or both. Start with its key to symbols, often called a legend; the composer’s instructions set the rules.

Find the rules

• Proportional time: space on the page may show duration; check the stated scale.
• Time brackets: a range of times may set when a sound starts or ends.
• Graphic notation: lines or shapes guide sounds according to the score’s instructions.
• New sound symbols: check each one; a sign can mean different things in different scores.

Read, speak, then play

1. Choose one short passage. List its fixed pitches, times, volumes and techniques.
2. Mark what you may choose; check unclear signs against the legend.
3. Speak or tap its timing, using a timer if seconds are given.
4. Play it, then check the recording against your marks.

Now play these

Use a published score such as Linde’s Music for a Bird or Hirose’s Meditation; find editions through resources.