Score study and music analysis activities are a great way to connect music theory concepts to the repertoire. Analyzing the music is an excellent way to introduce a new piece, or it's a fantastic activity to prepare for a performance or keep old repertoire fresh and relevant.
An excellent place to start exploring a piece is next to the clef sign. Here we find several pieces of relevant information: the time signature, key signature, and tempo. Students can write this information down on a foldable like this one, or they can use highlighters, colored pencils, or colored score tape to mark their findings.
Speaking of color-coding, you can also have students use different colors to mark such symbols as repeats, expressive markings, accidentals, and dynamics. You can extend the activity as students advance: figure out the form of the piece or do simple roman numeral analysis.
Another great way to have students analyze their repertoire is by sending them on a musical scavenger hunt. One example I use with my students can be downloaded below. It has two sheets per page and can be clipped onto a piece for homework or done in the lesson. Use this example as a jumping-off point to create your own musical detective activities. I'd love to see what you come up with! Share and tag @myviolinclub on Instagram or Twitter or join our teacher Facebook group.