For the play by Terrence McNally, see Master Class

A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline--most usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts. Terrence McNally is an American playwright. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... A photograph of PZFUN and his class in Honghu, Hubei, China. ... Alternate uses: Student (disambiguation) Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, which means to study, a student is one who studies. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral, physical, or mental development in a particular direction. ... Look up expert in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Arts is a broad subdivision of culture, comprised of many expressive disciplines. ...

The difference between a normal class and a master class is typically the setup. In a master class, all the students (and often spectators) watch and listen as the master takes one student at a time. The student (typically intermediate or advanced, depending on the status of the master) usually performs a single piece which they have prepared, and the master will give them advice on how to play it, often including anecdotes about the composer, demonstrations of how to play certain passages, and admonitions of common technical errors. The student is then usually expected to play the piece again, in light of the master's comments, and the student may be asked to play a passage repeatedly to attain perfection. Master classes for musical instruments tend to focus on the finer details of attack, tone, phrasing, and overall shape, and the student is expected to have complete control of more basic elements such as rhythm and pitch. The value of the master class setup is that all students can benefit from the master's comments on each piece. An anecdote is a short tale told about an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music, timbre, also timber (from Fr. ... ... For the popular Tamil film, see Rhythm (film) Rhythm (Greek = flow, or in Modern Greek, style) is the variation of the accentuation of sounds or other events over time. ... Pitch is the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. ...

Many concert performers give master classes, including such greats as Franz Liszt, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, and Vladimir Horowitz. Often, a touring performer will give a master class the day before, or the day of, their performance in a particular city. Giving a master class before a concert provides both artistic stimulation for the performer and a means of obtaining a larger audience. Portrait of Franz Liszt, painted in 1839 by Henri Lehmann. ... Yehudi Menuhin album cover Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (April 22, 1916 – March 12, 1999) was a Jewish-born, American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom and eventually became a British citizen. ... Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) is widely considered one of the finest violin virtuosi of the twentieth century. ... Portrait of Vladimir Horowitz, captured from the documentary The Last Romantic. ...

Aspiring classical musicians, and their teachers, typically consider master classes to be one of the most effective means of musical development, along with competitions, examinations, and practice. Competition characterises a biochemical, ecologic, economic, political, or sporting activity whereby two or more individuals or groups strive antagonistically against one another for some reward. ... To examine somebody or something is to inspect it closely, hence an examination is a detailed inspection or analysis of an object or person. ...

See also

• Clinic (music)