Musical scores constitute a key element in the development of expertise in musicians from western tonal traditions, since they act as a mediator between the performer and the music itself. Our aim was to study the role of musical scores in instrumental performance practice by analysing the process of learning a new piece of music, as well as the frequency of activities related to that score, taking account of situations when studying alone and with a teacher. Sixteen flute students at two different education levels from conservatoires in Madrid participated in an individual semi-structured interview and completed a rating-scale questionnaire. Categorical analysis from interview data revealed differences between levels in relation to the activities they stated that they engaged in when learning new pieces. Results from the questionnaires showed that although students at both levels worked on playing the musical score correctly, higher-level students seemed to pay special attention to artistic issues. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, as well as their implications for education.