The Efficient Band Rehearsal Charles T. Menghini, D.M.A. President and Director of Bands VanderCook Collage of Music Chicago, Illinois

Transcription

1 The Efficient Band Rehearsal Charles T. Menghini, D.M.A. President and Directr f Bands VanderCk Cllage f Music Chicag, Illinis General Strategies! Apprach yur wrk psitively! Have an agenda plan yur wrk and wrk yur plan! Bring yur persnality t the pdium! Leave yur prblems at the dr! Tday is a new day! Have yur pririties in place Basics never an excuse! Psture! Hand psitin Knw where yu are in the prcess Rehearsal Planning! The farther away the cncert, we tend t spend mre time n basics! The clser we get t the cncert, the less time we tend t spend n basics! State yur plan at the start f rehearsal Write rder n the bard r annunce the rder! Establishes expectatins! Allws percussin t get rganized Lng Range Rehearsal Planning Each cncert has a finite amunt f preparatin time Each wrk has a perfrmance time Each wrk has a grade level Multiply the perfrmance time X grade level = number Add the number fr each piece and determine a % fr each wrk Take amunt f rehearsal time and multiply by % Yu nw have number f minutes t spend n each piece in preparatin SCENARIO Cncert in 8 weeks Daily rehearsals fr 55 minutes Actual rehearsal time is 45 minutes (10 minutes fr rle, annuncements, warm-up) Want t spend the last week running and taking care f emergencies Have 7 weeks X 5 days = 35 rehearsals X 45 minutes = 1575 minutes Playing 5 numbers 1. 5 minutes grade 3 5 X 3 = 15 X 1.19 = % X 1575 = 281 mintues 2. 4 minutes grade 4 4 X 4 = 16 X 1.19 = % X 1575 = 300 minutes 3. 7 minutes grade 3 7 X 3 = 21 X 1.19 = % X 1575 = 393 minutes 4. 3 minutes grade 4 3 X 4 = 12 X % X 1575 = 225 minutes 5. 5 minutes grade 4 5 X 4 = 20 X 1.19 = % X 1575 = 375 minutes = 84 ttal = 1574 minutes 100/84 = 1.19 Then take the number f minutes and assign t each wrk ver the curse f the seven-week preparatin perid. Determine if yu want t wrk in 15 r 20-minute blcks, when yu want t have a run-thrugh, etc and begin yur wrk.

2 The Warm-Up! Make this a pririty Fcus 100% f yur attentin Avid ding clerical duties! Eyes Precise Attack! Style! Placement (temp) Vary temp Vary styles Vary meter Vary dynamics! Ears Match timbres Wdwinds nly Brasses nly Diatnic identify half steps and whle steps Hear the nte befre playing it Learn new keys t develp a brader repertire f muscle memry! Fingers Mve them rhythmically Slw passages require fast finger mvement Learn new keys t develp a brader repertire f muscle memry! Tngues START SUSTAIN RELEASE! Tw parts t the language! Cnsnants tngue mvements (placements)! Vwels air Accents Staccat Fast Tngue must make a rhythmic mvement! Think tngue-strke! Think rebund! Crdinatin Tngue and fingers must mve tgether Tnguing and slurring Divide the grup t develp ensemble crdinatin! Minds Cunting System Practice! New cncepts Tuning! The ceremnial first pitch Has nthing t d with the utcme f the game! Have students match sunds! Listen t ne instrument at a time Sund ges up r dwn! Hearing the beats Difference between tw sunds in vibratins per secnd We hear the average f the tw sunds! Knw when t use a tuner! Avid multiple tuners in the rehearsal! Just vs. equal temperament tuning Literature! Perfrm quality music! Perfrm music yu believe in! Have a cncept befre yu begin Develp yur internal ear! Think f the music in cntext

3 Music! Tw kinds f music, sng and dance! Sng music Lyrical in nature Think line Energy is in the center f the nte Often prvides fr mre nuance in temp! Rubat! Agitat! Dance music Rhythmic in nature Think rhythm Energy is at the start f the nte Strict temp Balance! Develp the cncept f sund yu want t hear Influenced by yur listening histry Instrumentatin! Large grup! Symphnic Band! Small grup! Wind Ensemble! Number f clr instruments! Often lng ntes cver mving lines Let the students knw when they have a lng nte, there are usually shrt ntes underneath! Have them listen t the mving lines! Ask the mving lines t bring ut their smaller ntes! Ask the mving line t bring ut any nte that has an accidental! Ask students t bring ut the mving (changing) ntes! Ask students t listen t ther sectins! Ask students t place their line ahead f r behind anther sectin! Define the layers f the music Fregrund Mid-Grund Backgrund! Asking brass t raise r lwer their bells can increase r decrease brightness f sund Interpretatin! What rle des meter play? Strng beats weak beats! Nte weight! Nte length Use yur cunting system t assist yu! The triplet figure Music is mtin In duple music, a triplet is used t add mtin! Faster! Slwer Use the triplet figure t bring this mtin t the music! The crescend r decrescend What the cmpser wants is an increase r decrease in sund The gal becmes the cntrast between the beginning and end We shuld phrase int the crescend by shaping the line sfter int the start f the crescend We shuld phrase int the decrescend by shaping the line luder int the start f the decrescend Dn t allw the perfrmer t anticipate by starting the actin early

4 Defining the arrival pint helps prevent the perfrmer frm achieving the cntrast t sn In sng music we fcus n increasing r decreasing the supprted air vlume (amunt and/r velcity depending upn desired timbre) In dance music, we must als increase r decrease the intensity f the articulatin! Accents Play the nte befre an accent sfter Type f music! Dance Articulatin! Sng Air Weight! Dissnance Embrace dissnance! Suspensins! Anticipatins Play dissnances strnger, prvides fr increased satisfactin at reslutin! Ornaments We hang the rnament n the utside f the tree They must be heard! Grace ntes! Trills! Turns! Pick up ntes! Transitins Use ne temp t help set up the next When rehearsing, wrk int and ut f transitins! Ritards Wheel f Frtune Clarity! The ability t hear int and thrugh a band sund! Requires gd tne and gd pitch! Requires gd rhythm and gd time Students must watch the cnductr (see cnducting sectin belw)! When multiple instruments are playing a lyrical meldic line, have nly ne persn perfrm with vibrat, the rest using straight tne Cunting System! Wind players must engage the air! Clapping systems wrk well fr percussinists! Dn t yu hate the number ne? Articulatin! Students ften fcus n ntes and rhythms! Again, START-SUSTAIN-RELEASE, cnsnants and vwels! What kind f articulatin will yu use? T r D cnsnant? Is the music sng r dance?! Have students say the articulatin befre playing the line! Tngue and finger crdinatin! Blw a stream f air then have students tngue ver the air stream and use hand mtin t demnstrate this t the students! Dn t stp the sund with the tngue unless the music requires it Cnducting! A gd set psitin! Get cmfrtable with the batn, make it an extensin f YOU! Quiet yurself! Cnditin yur students t respnd Set psitin Dn t talk with yur arms in set ready psitin Breathe with the students Maintain eye cntact thrugh the dwnbeat Keep yur head ut f the scre! Videtape yurself

5 ! Understand and use the planes f cnducting Hrizntal = air Vertical = attack Size = vlume! Students shuld WATCH t define temp! Listening is f secndary imprtance here LISTEN t define balance, blend and pitch! Watching is f secndary imprtance here! Cues need a prep beat! Fermatas mean nte value PLUS the fermata! Give nn-verbal reinfrcement! Check the psitin f the music stand t allw student t see the pdium while playing Hearing! Internal ear What yu want t hear! External ear What yu are actually hearing! Avid defensive strategies Singing the parts as yu cnduct Cnducting t the internal ear! Cnstantly cmpare the external mdel t the internal mdel What yu hear vs. what yu want Diagnsis and cure Listen t the starts, sustains and releases f ntes! Knw what yu want t hear Fllwing a line r clr Fllwing a series f events in the music Anticipate Efficiency in Language! Reinfrce the verbal with visual supprt! Less is mre Luder Sfter Sharp Flat Faster Slwer Brighter Darker Warmer Cler Rehearsing! The rehearsal is a place t d thse things the player cannt d n their wn utside f rehearsal! Knwing what yu can and can t fix Sme things can be fixed immediately! When yu hear it, fix it! Have students be specific with what they write n their music! Dn t circle smething Place a # in frnt f the nte that needs a sharp Place a b in frnt f a nte that needs a flat Same ges fr naturals! What sectin t listen t! Use arrws fr intnatin reminders Sme things take time! We can t rush the maturatin prcess! Identify what needs t be dne! Explain t the students hw they shuld practice in rder t develp the necessary perfrmance skills! Reinfrce these skills in daily warm-ups! Have students! Think like an athlete s many reps a day! A minute n a measure

6 ! Set up the framewrk Think f rehearsing the music as putting tgether a puzzle! Rhythmic! Internalize rhythms with ensemble! Use band as a metrnme while rehearsing a sectin! Lk fr like rhythmic figures Play a line Play the layer Add tgether Cntinue the prcess Dn t frget the percussin! Knw that bad ff beats are usually the case f bad n beats Wrk fr steady pulse and fcus n the pulse! Harmnic! Bass line! Accmpaniment! Meldy! Harmny! Obbligat! Dn t frget the percussin! Get the students t acknwledge a mistake Dn t berate them Saves tim, yu knw they knw and dn t have t stp Mdeling! If yu are singing smething t the ensemble, sing (play) it crrectly! Sing the crrect articulatins! Sing the crrect pitches! Sing the crrect style! Make the ensemble respnsible Yu are hearing this (sing example as they played it) Yu are seeing this (sing the example as yu want it played) The Whle Prcess! Cncept >>>>> Detail >>>>> Cncept! Pacing! Experience Gd luck! CHARELS T. MENGHINI is President, Prfessr f Music an ddirectr f Bands at VanderCk Cllege f Music. Charlie frequently serves as a clinician and adjudicatr thrughut the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and has actively wrked with ver 500 schl and cmmunity ensembles frm 25 states as well as Canada, Japan and Australia. He has cnducted all-state ensembles in Wiscnsin, Nrth Dakta, Gergia, Suth Carlina, Nrth Carlina, Nebraska and New Yrk and has presented numerus clinics at the Midwest Clinic in Chicag and state music educatrs in-services frm cast t cast. Charlie is als c-authr f The Essential Elements 2000 Band Methd, published by the Hal Lenard Crpratin and serves as a member f the Bard f Advisrs t the Instrumentalist magazine. Cpyright 2006 Charles T. Menghini VanderCk Cllege f Music, 3140 S. Federal Street, Chicag, Illinis (312) X 223 cmenghini@vanderck.edu