Techniques for Improving and Expanding Gestural Vocabulary Common Problems and Solutions for Conductors

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1 Preparatory Stance Techniques for Improving and Expanding Gestural Vocabulary Common Problems and Solutions for Conductors Balanced weight Feet shoulder width apart (pivot points) Body alignment Shoulders relaxed, head up Reading Zero Arms Hands elbows in front of body elbows like "hands on a clock" with an angle reading 4:30 and 7:30 forearms slightly inward, parallel to the floor palms generally facing the floor fingers curved and relaxed Preparatory Beats Tempo Articulation Style Dynamics Problem(s) Causes: Entrances are not together Rhythmic precision Articulation and attack do not reflect style Tempo is difficult to read Stylistic inconsistencies related to articulation/attack 1) lack of eye contact 2) breath and upbeat are not in sync 3) conducting plane is not clearly established 4) the speed of the upbeat/downbeat is inconsistent 5) the rebound does not reflect a specific active style Establish and maintain eye contact. If you need to look at the score, wait until at least the second measure of the phrase. Establish the articulation and point of attack by using a slight flick of the wrist to clarify the plane, indicating the ictus (or point of attack). Rebound in the intended style of the music. Breathe as if you are playing in the ensemble. Think of a chamber music setting. Body language should reflect musical intent. Practice reading zero.

2 Practice preparatory gestures by giving the upbeat only to check for clarity. Practice with different tempos/styles. Apply Elizabeth Green s rebound rule: The rebound should be less than half the size of the initial beat. Beat Patterns Lack of Clarity Rebound control Too much subdivision Vertical plane and musical intent are in conflict Inconsistent speed between beats Think more horizontally. Try conducting without rebound, i.e. sliding hands back and forth on a table or music stand. Utilize a visual reference for the vertical conducting plane. A music stand is a great tool. Place beats on flat surface of stand. Flatten and raise a music stand so the rebound cannot exceed an acceptable height. Eliminate or control subdivision of the beat. Use subdivision for retards - not energy. This is especially true in faster music. Utilize a focal point conducting style. Think flattened figure eights. Use a chalkboard or poster board and trace pattern for practice. Use a conducting plane relevant to the dynamic and be appropriately consistent. Maintain a steady speed between beats (visualization of focal point will help). Define ictus more clearly. Be cognizant of using too much energy on the rebound. Diagrams (see white board in session

3 Phrasing/Musicality Conductor s indication of shape and direction of musical line is ineffective. Gestures are not musically representative. Ensemble is not responsive to gestures (sensitization). Conductor does not have clear and definitive musical goals. Conceive and internalize the sound and visually express your interpretive goals and ideas. The music sounds like...feels like...looks like... Use your imagination as a powerful communication tool. See article by Miriam Tait: Striving to Become a Creative Artist CBDNA Journal, Winter Use arms and hands freely (no pattern) to represent musical intent (i.e., break free from patterns). Utilize melding gestures freely and within patterns. Think about a musical asterisk to highlight peaks in phrase structure. Use the upper body, lower body, stance, facial expression and conducting gestures in a unified way to strengthen communication. Left Hand Cause Difficulty using the left hand independently and effectively. Dexterity and coordination needs further development. Conduct using the left hand only (to build independence/dexterity). (Discuss mirror conducting vs. other approaches to teaching conducting). Use left hand exclusively to indicate significant musical events. Choreograph left hand moments until your vocabulary develops. Mirror conduct periodically to reinforce musical goals, dynamics, rhythmic shifts etc... Drumming Exercises Fermatas Problem(s): Getting "in and out" of fermatas creates clarity issues. Hands are out of position for next entrance. Musical line is disrupted because proper pattern direction is not maintained.

4 Cues Stay in the pattern as much as possible. Utilize both clockwise and counterclockwise releases Practice multiple ways of releasing the sound, i.e. with caesura, without caesura. Use the preparatory gesture techniques. Cues are ineffective (musically and rhythmically). Develop dexterity (see above). Use the preparatory techniques to solidify cues. Practice cues on each beat, and each subdivision of beat. Example: In 4/4 conduct five measures at quarter note = 92. Second measure cue beat one. Third measure cue beat two. Fourth measure cue beat three. Fifth measure cue beat four. Next: Same exercise conducting with left hand, cue with right hand. Example: In 4/4, conduct four measures at quarter note = 72. Conduct the "and" of beats 2 and 4. Alternate hand and try the same exercise. When comfortable with these exercises begin utilizing a different (appropriate) hand shape to reflect style. Additionally, pivot and cue a different section in the ensemble for each new entrance. Next, try changing dynamics for each measure/cue. Conductor as Communicator Wakin, Daniel J. (2012, April 6). The Maestro s Mojo. New York Times. Retrieved from In the end it must be remembered that the art of conducting is more than just semaphore. It is a two-step between body and soul, between physical gesture and musical personality. The greatest technician can produce flabby performances. The most inscrutable stick waver can produce transcendence. Daniel J. Wakin

5 A baton can work against a singing sound, he [Gergiev] added. Most difficult in conducting is to make the orchestra sing, and this is where both hands have to basically help wind or string players sing. Hitting the air with a stick, he said, is like fencing: I don t think it helps the sound. Valery Gergiev You can do everything right and be of no interest at all, said James Conlon, the music director of the Los Angeles Opera. And you can be baffling and effective. To close, consider this final thought: Elegant looking conducting patterns can be a façade. Back up your technique with exceptional musicianship and a thorough and complete understanding of the score. This is the only way you can effectively make music. John Climer, D.M.A. Professor of Music Director of University Bands Peck School of the Arts University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Notes: