本文探討音樂手稿形式種類及音樂學界對解讀手稿的有關論述。音樂手稿研究並不僅是一種直接將作曲過程轉換為樂曲分析的音樂研究方法，或選擇演奏版本的依據。它提供寶貴的機會讓研究者能深入思考相關議題，譬如作曲家的意圖，相關音樂傳統及樂派，寫作習慣，外在因素的限制，手稿年表順序，各式擬稿及修訂的痕跡，抄本存真度種種。除此之外，手稿中反映的在創作上的各式創新與產生手稿的歷史文化或音樂風格背景息息相關，因此深植於歷史訊息之中，更是個開放性的文本。這些錯綜交織的問題使得手稿詮釋及分析成為一門相當複雜的學問。二十世紀作曲手稿的複雜多元性，及音樂語言及媒介的創新，使音樂手稿的解讀更形複雜。本文引用音樂學學者菲利普‧賈瑟特分析調性音樂提出的確認性，建議性及概念性為基礎來引導二十世紀音樂手稿分析的思考，並主張理論的探討與手稿分析必須是相輔相成的：一方面以適當音樂理論的架構假設，來對手稿展開解讀，另一方面，也以研究手稿所得的心得來隨時修正音樂理論的架構。
從此角度，本文分析方於2011年由台灣師範大學數位典藏中心完成的全面的以數位電子化典藏的盧炎手稿。特別是數量頗多的「音高材料」數字表。作曲家以簡便，縮寫的符號進行和聲及其它樂念上的思考，除了助憶的作用之外，更在他的音樂及和聲的發展上扮演了重要的角色。盧炎的手稿中《木管五重奏》的「音高材料」包涵了他對和聲，旋律及音列及音組平衡的關係的深刻思考。

This paper introduces the various types of music manuscripts and current issues in music sketch studies. It argues that the study of musical manuscripts is not simply the direct conversion of composition processes into music analysis. Nor is it limited to the function of providing a basis for choosing performance editions. Rather, it allows the researchers to weigh and ponder on many entangled issues, such as the composer's intentions, musical influences and music trends, composition habits, manuscripts chronology order, revisions to the draft, and traces of pre-composition plans. In addition, manuscripts could be situated in the network of various cultural or historical moments, and of a variety of musical styles and trends. It can be linked to a large web of associations contributing in different ways to the production of the manuscripts. Manuscripts are deeply rooted in historical processes and are essentially open text. The diversity of the twentieth century music manuscript, both in terms of musical language and medium, also raise new issues for sketch studies. Borrowing from Philip Gossett, this paper examines three areas of manuscript studies—confirmatory, suggestive, and conceptual—to ponder on the analysis of 20th century music.

From this angle, the paper analyzes the manuscripts of Taiwanese composer Lu Yan. It focuses on several diagrams of integers in the composer’s sketches. In particular the paper examines how these diagrams reflect abstract conceptualization of pitch structure and harmony language, and how they are connected to his composition, “Woodwind Quintet.” These sketches of “pitch material” illustrate the profound thinking encompassing his harmony, melody and tone row and balanced relationship of sound world.