Notskrift används för att dokumentera, kommunicera och läsa musik. Notskrift har traditionellt lästs från papper, men med ny teknik tillgänglig har fysiska papper till viss del bytts ut mot digitala enheter, såsom surfplattor. Fördelar med notläsning på surfplattor kan vara portabilitet, snabb åtkomst, och möjlighet för smidig bladvändning. Möjliga nackdelar kan vara svårigheter att annotera och liten skärmstorlek. Tidigare forskning på området har bland annat berört metoder för bladvändning, digitala notställ och digital semantisk förståelse av noter. Trots rapporter om musikers preferenser relaterat till exempelvis storlek på noterna saknas studier om vilka åsikter och attityder musiker har till fenomenet notläsning på surfplatta och i vilken utsträckning de vill använda det. För att kunna utveckla digitala verktyg som gör nytta för frilansmusiker i det dagliga yrkesutövandet behövs kunskap om hur de använder teknik, vilka förutsättningar som kan underlätta notläsning på surfplattor, och om det finns specifika hinder eller sociala aspekter som påverkar attityder till ny teknik. För att adressera problemet är det av intresse att undersöka attityder kring notläsning på surfplattor. Studiens frågeställning lyder: Vilka attityder har frilansmusiker i en kammarmusikensemble till notläsning på surfplattor? För att undersöka fenomenet genomfördes en kvalitativ “face-to-face survey” på frilansande musiker som är medlemmar i en kammarmusikensemble. I syfte att fånga åsikter, attityder, och känslor genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer. För att få en tydlig bild av respondenterna genomfördes även en kort grundläggande enkätundersökning. De transkriberade intervjuerna analyserades genom en tematisk analys där egenskaper kodades utifrån den insamlade informationen. Vidare identifierades teman explicit, utan att leta efter något utöver det som har sagts. Detta utfördes med ett datadrivet tillvägagångssätt, där mönster huvudsakligen framkom ur data snarare än analytikernas intressen. De attityder som framkom i studiens resultat kan beskrivas vara övervägande positiva, främst baserat i att surfplattor av musikerna beskrivs ha logistiska och praktiska fördelar såsom portabilitet, snabb åtkomst, och delning. Utöver de positiva attityderna återfanns även negativa attityder, med teman rörande rädsla för tekniska problem, ovana, och svårigheter med bladvändning och annotering. Begränsningar i studien rör studiens korta tidsperiod och att datainsamlingsmetod i stor grad anpassats efter respondenternas tillgänglighet samt att resultatet inte kan anses fullständigt generaliserbart. Tidigare forskning har till stor del berört enskilda aspekter av digitala noter och experiment i kontrollerad miljö. Studien ger nya insikter relaterat till vad musiker upplever i verkliga sammanhang. Resultatet kan vara till nytta för utvecklare av applikationer för notläsning eller tillverkare av tillbehör för bladvändning. / Sheet music is used to document, communicate, and read music. Traditionally sheet music was read on paper, but with new emerging technology physical paper is partly being replaced by digital devices such as tablets. Some advantages of digital sheet music and tablets are described as portability, rapid access, and possibility for easier page turns. Possible disadvantages could be difficulty annotating and small screen sizes. Previous research on the subject has touched on different methods for page turning, digital music stands, and digital semantic understanding of sheet music. Reports about some aspects of musicians preferences, for example regarding size of note staffs are found in the literature, but there is a lack of research on which attitudes and opinions musicians hold regarding reading music from tablets. To be able to develop digital tools that create value for freelance musicians in their daily work, knowledge about how they use technology and which obstacles hinders use. To address the problem it is interesting to explore attitudes towards reading music from tablets among freelance musicians. The research question of this study is: Which attitudes do freelance musicians in a chamber music quartet hold towards reading music on tablets? To explore the phenomenon, a qualitative “face-to-face survey” was performed on freelance musicians that are members of a chamber music quartet. Semi structured interviews were conducted to acquire attitudes, opinions, and emotions. A small questionnaire was also used to get a clear picture of the participants and gather background information. The transcribed interviews were analyzed by first coding interesting characteristics based on the information collected. Furthermore, themes were identified explicitly, without looking for anything beyond what has been said. This is done with a data-driven approach, where patterns emerge mainly from the data rather than the interests of analysts. The attitudes that were held by the participants of the study can be described as mostly positive, based on that tablets were described having logistic and practical advantages such as portability, rapid access and sharing. However, some negative attitudes were found among the musicians, concerning fear of technical problems, unfamiliarity, and difficulty turning pages and annotating. Limitations in the study relate to the study's short time period, that the data collection method was largely adapted to the respondents' availability, and that the results cannot be considered generalizable. Previous research has largely concerned individual aspects of digital sheet music and experiments in a controlled environment. The study provides new insights related to what musicians experience in a real life environment. The result may be useful to developers of music reading applications or manufacturers of page turning accessories.

Syftet med detta självständiga arbete är att bidra med mer kunskap om hur grundskoleelever i musikklass med körprofil i Sverige uppfattar fenomenet notläsning. I bakgrundskapitlet presenteras en kort historik över notskriftens historia, en redogörelse för musikklassen som fenomen samt definitioner av termer som används i detta arbete. Den tidigare forskningen fokuserar på fenomenet notläsning utifrån de särskilda utmaningar som sångare möter jämfört med instrumentalister. Det teoretiska perspektivet fenomenografi ligger till grund för arbetet. Genom halvstrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med sjutton elever i årskurs åtta från en musikklass med körprofiol har empiriskt material samlats in vilket sedan analyserats med en fenomenografisk dataanalys. Enligt studiens resultat uppfattar eleverna fenomenet notläsning på sex kvalitativt skilda sätt: som ett verktyg för att tillägna sig musik genom att avkoda ett intervall mellan två toner, som ett verktyg för att distribuera och bevara musik över historiska avstånd, som ett verktyg för självständighet och variation i tolkning och framförande utifrån en noterad förlaga, som ett verktyg som möjliggör högre arbetstakt i musikundervisningen, som ett verktyg för överblick i en i övrigt gehörsbaserad personlig inlärningsstrategi, samt som en hämmande faktor för samspel, sångteknik och självförtroende i framförandet av körmusik. Resultatet jämförs med tidigare forskning och möjliga pedagogiska implikationer presenteras. / The purpose of this study is to contribute with more knowledge about how students in a high school music class with choir profile perceive the phenomenon of reading music. In the background chapter, a short account of the history of musical notation is presented, an account of the phenomenon of a music class with choir orientation as the term is used in this study, as well as definitions of terms that are used in this study. The prior research focuses on the phenomenon of reading music from the perspective of the special difficulties that singers experience in comparison to instrumentalists. The theoretical perspective of phenomenography is the basis for the study. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with seventeen students in eighth grade from a music class with choir profile, empirical data has been collected which has then been analyzed with a phenomenographical analysis. According to the study the students perceive the phenomenon of reading music in six qualitatively different ways: As a tool for learning music by decoding an interval between two notes, as a tool for distributing and preserving music across historical distances, as a tool for independence and variation in interpretation and performance based on a notated source material, as a tool that makes possible a higher work rate in music lessons, as a tool for overview in an otherwise ear-based personal learning strategy, as well as an impeding factor for interplay, singing technique and confidence in the performance of choir music. The results are compared to prior research, and possible pedagogical implications are presented.

The study substantiates common strategies and theories regarding the teaching of sight-reading. The literature study done on sight-reading at the keyboard consists of opinions and recommendations resulting from empirical findings of well-known piano pedagogues. Seven beginner courses were analysed in order to assess their presentation of a well-structured development of piano sight-reading against the opinions and recommendations of well-known piano pedagogues and authors in this field as well as the personal experience of the researcher. During this process it was discovered that insufficient attention was paid to the development of the association between a note symbol and its corresponding key on the piano. However no attention was paid to the act of playing while reading ahead. The researcher compiled additional progressive exercises for the 7 to 9 year old beginner, to address the above-mentioned discrepancies. The exercises and their individual purposes are clearly explained with instructions regarding their performance. / Hierdie studie bevestig algemene strategieë en teorieë aangaande die ontwikkeling van vaardighede om musieknotasie te lees en te speel. Die literatuur wat in hierdie studie bestudeer is, handel oor opinies en aanbevelings van vooraanstaande klavierpedagoë wat voortspruit uit die resultate van hulle empiriese navorsing. Sewe aanvangskursusse is ontleed en die aktiwiteite en metodes waarvolgens vaardighede onderrig word om musieknotasie te leer lees en speel, is gemeet aan die aanbevelings van vooraanstaande klavierpedagoë, navorsers op die gebied, asook die navorser se eie ervaring met die boeke. Gedurende die studie is daar ontdek dat daar meesal nie aandag geskenk word aan die ontwikkeling van 'n assosiasie tussen 'n toonhoogtesimbool en ooreenstemmende klawer op die klavier nie en glad nie aan die proses van vooruitlees nie. Om hierdie tekortkominge te oorkom het die navorser 'n stel aanvullende en progressiewe oefeninge saamgestel wat maklik genoeg uitvoerbaar is vir die 7- tot 9-jarige beginner. Duidelike beskrywings van die oefeninge, elkeen se spesifieke doel, en aanwysings vir effektiewe uitvoering daarvan word verskaf. / Art History, Visual Arts & Music / M.A. (Musicology)

The study substantiates common strategies and theories regarding the teaching of sight-reading. The literature study done on sight-reading at the keyboard consists of opinions and recommendations resulting from empirical findings of well-known piano pedagogues. Seven beginner courses were analysed in order to assess their presentation of a well-structured development of piano sight-reading against the opinions and recommendations of well-known piano pedagogues and authors in this field as well as the personal experience of the researcher. During this process it was discovered that insufficient attention was paid to the development of the association between a note symbol and its corresponding key on the piano. However no attention was paid to the act of playing while reading ahead. The researcher compiled additional progressive exercises for the 7 to 9 year old beginner, to address the above-mentioned discrepancies. The exercises and their individual purposes are clearly explained with instructions regarding their performance. / Hierdie studie bevestig algemene strategieë en teorieë aangaande die ontwikkeling van vaardighede om musieknotasie te lees en te speel. Die literatuur wat in hierdie studie bestudeer is, handel oor opinies en aanbevelings van vooraanstaande klavierpedagoë wat voortspruit uit die resultate van hulle empiriese navorsing. Sewe aanvangskursusse is ontleed en die aktiwiteite en metodes waarvolgens vaardighede onderrig word om musieknotasie te leer lees en speel, is gemeet aan die aanbevelings van vooraanstaande klavierpedagoë, navorsers op die gebied, asook die navorser se eie ervaring met die boeke. Gedurende die studie is daar ontdek dat daar meesal nie aandag geskenk word aan die ontwikkeling van 'n assosiasie tussen 'n toonhoogtesimbool en ooreenstemmende klawer op die klavier nie en glad nie aan die proses van vooruitlees nie. Om hierdie tekortkominge te oorkom het die navorser 'n stel aanvullende en progressiewe oefeninge saamgestel wat maklik genoeg uitvoerbaar is vir die 7- tot 9-jarige beginner. Duidelike beskrywings van die oefeninge, elkeen se spesifieke doel, en aanwysings vir effektiewe uitvoering daarvan word verskaf. / Art History, Visual Arts and Music / M.A. (Musicology)

xiii, 221 p. : ill., music, forms. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: MUSIC MT35 .M87 2006 / The main purpose of the study was to examine the effects of learning songs by ear in multiple keys on skills in playing by ear and sight-reading. Secondary purposes of the study were to explore the effects of instruction on student attitudes, and to consider differential effects due to music aptitude. Students were brass and woodwind musicians ( N =28) in grades 7--8, placed in one of two instructional groups according to music aptitude, instrument, and music background. Time for instruction was three 20-minute lessons per week for four weeks. Students in the experimental group learned songs by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, while students in the contact-control group practiced technical exercises in those same keys. Before and after instruction, students performed a well-known melody by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, as well as a short etude in each of the three keys. Two adjudicators listened to recorded performances and evaluated pitch accuracy. To assess the effects of instruction on performance, repeated-measures ANOVAs considered the variables of group, time, and key. The experimental group improved significantly in playing by ear in the keys of Db and G concert, p < .001, but not in Bb. The contact-control group did not improve significantly in playing by ear in any of the keys. Both groups improved significantly in sight-reading in all three keys, p < .001. Analyses of qualitative and quantitative data from a researcher-authored attitude survey indicated that students in the experimental group perceived significant improvement in the new keys of Db and G, while students in the contact-control group did not perceive improvement. There were no statistically significant effects of music aptitude on performance achievement or attitude. Whether this was because the sample sizes were too small for the detection of effects, or whether there were no significant effects, is not known. The results of the study suggest that learning songs by ear may benefit student musicians. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Harry E. Price, Chair; Dr. Michael D. Bullis; Dr. Phyllis M. Paul; Dr. Steve Vacchi

The reasons given by thirty-three junior high school band directors for success and failure at the University Interscholastic League Concert/Sightreading Contest were studied using the methodology of Attribution Theory. All of the subjects attended the same contest and were members of a region which included urban and suburban schools. The subjects responded to a questionnaire which evaluated their attitudes towards the contest, allowed them to make judgments about other directors in hypothetical contest situations, and finally asked them to list the five most important reasons for their success or failure at the contest in an open-response format.