Effects of Score Study Style on Beginning Conductors' Error-Detection Abilities

In this study, I investigated the effects of four score study styles—-no score study, study with score alone, study with score and correct aural example, and score study at the keyboard—on the pitch and rhythm error-detection abilities of beginning conducting students. Four computer-assisted tests were developed, each with 31 examples using sampled sounds and ranging from one to eight parts. A counterbalanced design was used to control for effects of presentation order as to score study style and individual test. Score study with a correct aural example was found to be significantly more effective than study with the score alone. No significant difference was found between score study at the keyboard and any other score study style. There were significant differences in test scores attributable to the number of parts in examples. Generally, error detection became more difficult as the number of parts increased.

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