Efficient Rehearsals by William W. Gourley It is no secret that one of the main factors influencing great performances is great rehearsals. Performers just do not rise to the occasion on a performance. Arguably, the one aspect of performance conductors have the most influence on is the efficiency of the rehearsal. The conductor must maximize the ensemble s preparation in rehearsal regardless of individual abilities or preparedness on the part of the musicians in front of him or her. Obviously, the more proficient the ensemble s pedagogical skills are the more efficient rehearsals will be and the better they will perform on a concert. We can encourage the development of these skills by incorporating them in to the daily routine as I have advocated in numerous articles. Even with a systematic skills development routine, students individual abilities still vary greatly depending on individual practice and their learning efficiencies. Maximizing the cumulative skills of the ensemble requires efficient rehearsals which are most influenced by the conductor. Conducting Proficiency Throughout our experiences as a performer from beginning band or strings, through university ensembles to performing professionally, we have played under a variety of conductors. The measure of their proficiency as a conductor has a profound impact on our performance. There are those conductors whose every gesture communicates so well they instill a confidence in the ensemble that makes everything feel natural and easy. On the other hand there are conductors whose every move creates confusion fostering an atmosphere of struggle and near panic in every measure. There is no escaping the fact, the better we can communicate nonverbally as conductors, the more efficient our rehearsals will be. The more vocabulary we possess in our conducting skills allows the ensemble to be active learners as they play the music more which enhances their familiarity with the music. Conversely, the more time the ensemble sits passively as we describe what we want the less they are playing and the less familiar they become with the music. The vast majority of us we spend far more time performing from the podium than we do on our instrument. We may gig a few nights a month for three hours but we are on the podium for three to four hours a day, five days a week. Unfortunately, our training as conductors is rudimentary for the most part. Generally, we are well trained in the teaching of the instruments and methodology but there is little time devoted to the art of conducting. It is difficult to find time in the already overloaded university curriculum to give sufficient attention to the art of conducting beyond beat patterns, staccato, legato and dynamics. There are a variety of ensemble performance issues that often can be improved by the conductor. Inaccurate attacks, unity of movement, dynamics and style are a few of the basic issues that might be the result of conductor. For example, developing a clearer ictus
on each beat or establishing a clearer preparatory beat is often the simple solution to ongoing performance issues of attacks and unity of movement in the ensemble. Conducting at its essence is pantomime of the music. The conductor must be able to communicate the artistry of the music as well as its fundamentals of meter and tempos. We need to use or skills to transform the sights on the page and the colors of sound from the ensemble and translate them into movement. This adds to the efficiency of a rehearsal allowing the ensemble to perform the music more in rehearsal while making it easier to play by eliminating ambiguities in the conducting. Preparation Obviously, to run an efficient rehearsal takes preparation. The more you now about the composition, the more efficiently you can rehearse it. For the school conductor eighty percent of his or her preparation is done before the ensemble reads the selection for the first time. As the rehearsals progress the conductor continues with daily preparation depending on how the ensemble is performing the composition. The fewer rehearsals an ensemble has the greater the percentage of preparation the conductor needs to put in prior to the first reading. In ensembles that may have five to eight weekly rehearsals for a concert such as community bands, ninety to ninety-five percent of the preparation takes place before the first rehearsal. With only one or two rehearsals, one hundred percent of the preparation is done prior to the first reading. Score Study In our conducting classes we were taught how to study a score. We need to know the form of the composition, entrances, time signatures, tempos and tempo changes, harmonic structure, phrasing, styles: all the nuts and bolts of the selection. This is the foundation upon which we build our preparation. Without this rudimental knowledge of the score rehearsals will have little focus. This creates an environment of haphazard rehearsals filled with discovery learning. Unfortunately, things may not be discovered until it s too late. Score study needs to go beyond the general marking of the score we are taught in conducting classes. To enhance rehearsal efficiency we need to identify potential problem areas the ensemble will experience. Beyond the obvious tempo changes, these might include: awkward rhythmic patterns, alternate or unusual fingering situations (that C to Eb alternate fingering for clarinets in the key of Ab for example), articulations, unfamiliar bowings, etc. Once you have indentified these potential roadblocks to successful performance you can create strategies to master them before the ensemble encounters them eliminating the chance performers/students will experience failure the first time the ensemble reads the composition.
Here is a very rudimentary example of anticipating problems before they arise. Most beginning method books include a folk song known as either French Folk Song or Quarter Note Study within the first three or four songs in the book. In the third measure there is a leap of a third between the C and E. This is the first time beginning students encounter movement other than diatonic. Knowing this is a potential mistake you can isolate the two notes and have the students play them. Then add the third note in the measure and then play the third and fourth measures. Now, when they start from the beginning the class will be more likely to avoid playing C to D rather than C to E. This will allow them to experience success rather than failure and enhance rehearsal productivity. This is an effective method whether you are conducting beginning students or adult ensembles. More advanced ensembles may only need to work on the transitions and occasional rhythmic or thinly scored areas. The one or two rehearsals and perform ensemble will not have time to play through the compositions so efficiency is vital to making the ensemble comfortable with these areas. During your score study identify pedagogical requirements in which the ensemble may be less proficient. This may include unusual meters, key signatures, harmonies, string positions, bowings and articulations, to name a few. A composition may be in EbM whose harmonies are familiar to the ensemble causing intonation to suffer. We cannot overlook the possibility there may be a couple measures of development where it goes into CM which contains unfamiliar harmonies for the younger ensemble. Another example is a composition in DM that moves to the relative harmonic or melodic b minor. DM may play very well but b minor presents all kinds of challenges both technically and harmonically. By identifying these ensemble deficiencies you can address the skills in the warm-up or pedagogical development portion of the rehearsal where they can be isolated and easily transferred to the composition. Rehearsal Timeline Having analyzed the score and identifying the skills necessary to perform the composition and the potential roadblocks to success it is time to plot out rehearsal objectives. This is basically establishing a list of goals and instructional objectives to achieve these goals and putting them into a timeline. There are two parts to this; the pedagogical skills development objectives and the rehearsal sequence for the music. It is important to avoid rehearsing aspects of the music that require skills the ensemble has not mastered. There is not much benefit to rehearsing a section that is in a key that is
not mastered by the ensemble. For example, a band attempting to rehearse a composition in DbM that has not worked on scale studies, etudes and intonation studies (chorales) will spend so much time addressing these issues they will have little time to work on the style and phrasing. It is more efficient to wait to rehearse this selection after these skills have been mastered. As you build the rehearsal schedule you should include repetition of the more challenging areas to continually reinforce these skills. Transitions where altered notes and new harmonies appear, tempo and meter changes, technically demanding sections, etc. need to be continually reinforced so the ensemble s proficiency does not diminish after having mastered them in previous rehearsals. Having to relearn what was an acquired skill diminishes rehearsal efficiency. The timeline should have room for flexibility. The most experienced conductors cannot anticipate every possible performance problem. Ideally, the timeline has the ensemble comfortable with performance a week prior to the actual performance. Conducting Score study is just the foundation of our preparation. The next step is to practice conducting the composition. Practice entrances, tempo changes, style, phrasing, everything you will eventually need to conduct the concert. Stand in front of a mirror or your computer camera (doesn t everybody have these now?) and watch yourself conduct various sections to be sure you are communicating everything clearly. The added benefit to this is you will become more familiar with the score and will need to spend less energy with your head in the score reading it in rehearsal and spend more energy listening to the music. It is important to practice conducting using a metronome. Tempo fluctuation is common among ensembles. The less experienced the group the more likely this is to occur. If you have studied the composition with a metronome you will immediately notice this fluctuation and correct it before the ensemble has become accustomed to it and you need to spend extra rehearsal time correcting it. The importance of practicing the conducting of the composition cannot be overstated. The conductor does not need to practice every measure. If he or she is comfortable with the phrasing and general style there is less need to conduct through some of the main sections. Where conductors stumble in rehearsals and waist time is trying to communicate releases of fermatas and bringing in the ensemble after them. Other areas include tempo changes, rubato sections, mixed and asymmetrical meters and style. Having determined how you want the composition to sound and how to communicate it is essential to an efficient rehearsal. Rehearsal As I stated earlier eighty percent of your preparation is complete. Once rehearsals begin there are a few things you can do to help the ensemble be more efficient in rehearsals. Give the ensemble a rehearsal schedule for the coming week. Be specific.
Monday Holst- 1 st movement beginning through C Sousa-second strain During rehearsal make specific assignments/suggestions for practice. Clarinets work on measures 20-24 for tomorrow Violas work on measures 45-50 paying attention to the rests Take notes during the rehearsal or immediately after regarding areas that need attention or review for adjustments in future rehearsals. Record rehearsals. This is a simple process today utilizing a pocket size digital recorder complete with built in stereo microphones. Limit your comments to two or three short statements and then play. Attention spans are short and you only improve by rehearsing not talking. Occasionally there may be a need to offer more detailed instruction but this needs to be kept to a minimum. Efficiency from the podium enhances the efficiency of performance from the ensemble. This creates rehearsals where improvement happens every rehearsal, which results in memorable performances. Rehearsals that foster successful experiences attract and keep students and adults coming back year after year.