Editing Master class (section)

== Around music ==
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.<ref>Piers Spencer [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e4274 Master class] from [[Oxford Music Online]]</ref> The student (typically intermediate or advanced, depending on the status of the master) usually performs a single [[piece (music)|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, [[timbre|tone]], [[musical phrasing|phrasing]], and overall shape, and the student is expected to have complete control of more basic elements such as [[rhythm]] and [[pitch (music)|pitch]]. The value of the master class setup is that all students can benefit from the master's comments on each piece.

Many concert performers have given master classes, starting with its inventor [[Franz Liszt]]<ref>Alan Walker, et al. [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/48265 Franz Liszt] from Oxford Music Online</ref> and including such greats as [[Yehudi Menuhin]], [[Isaac Stern]], [[Itzhak Perlman]], 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.

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.

Some [[musical theatre]] composers will also give master classes to college students studying performance.

Some speciality classes may be referred to as 'mini master classes'. These can involve short, faster lessons on a new subject. Students, typically experienced in one discipline, may attend these classes to learn the basics of a new, related discipline.