The craft of conducting – the basics
Video 2 – Ups and downs, levers and use of space
Teacher music resource developed by The Arts Unit
Embedded Files
Video 2 and supplementary materials
Video 2 and supplementary materials
Pulse Concert - Photo credit: Anna Warr
The whole body experience
The whole body experience
Conducting is not right hand, left hand, it is a whole body experience.
In this section we will explore ways to use your arms, your face and your torso to express what you want to say as a conductor!
Watch Video 2 as Stephen Williams introduces body mapping. Discover ways to make your body 'be the music'.
Video 2: Ups and downs, levers and use of space
Duration: 20:37Ups and downs, levers and use of space - video chapter markers
You may like to use the video chapter marker timings to review and revise areas of interest. Select the collapsible text arrow to view.
Please note: these chapter markers are also provided on the video.
00:58 - Definitions
01:30 - The basic conducting gesture
02:30 - The 4 expressive conducting gestures
02:52 - Legato gesture
03:45 - Staccato gesture
04:38 - Marcato gesture
05:43 - Tenuto gesture
06:45 - Body Mapping outlined
07:04 - Our arm levers and rotations
07:59 - The conducting areas
09:22 - Body awareness
10:32 - Cut-offs utilizing hand/arm rotation
10:50 - Exploring the Legato style
12:45 - Exploring the Staccato style
14:50 - Exploring the Marcato style
15:33 - Exploring the Tenuto style
16:10 - The Cut-off explained
19:30 - Coda.
Body mapping
Body mapping
In Edward Lisk’s ‘The Creative Director: Alternative Rehearsal Techniques’, he states that:
"8% of a message is communicated through words, 37% through tone, nuance and vocal inflections of these words, and 55% of this message is communicated through non-verbal body language".
Your posture amplifies your personality. It is a visible clue as to your inner thoughts and feelings.
The sound of the orchestra, band or choir can change dramatically according to the physical presence of the conductor.
An elevated stance can give you a position of power and strength. It can present confidence and a sense of command – or not!
"You project energy and confidence from the heart and the chest – not the arms" - Craig Kirchhoff
Think about radiating ‘light’ from the torso.
The energy point or ‘core’ alignment is the centre of the body – the 'chi'.
Awareness of body and use of space
Awareness of body and use of space
Technical issues can occur that have nothing to do with your musicality.
The architecture of the arm – 4 joints: wrist, elbow, shoulder and clavicle (shoulder rotation)
The 3 rotations of the arm: wrist (minimal), forearm, shoulder.
We need to use all of the space at our disposal. We can divide space into 3. The space from:
our right shoulder out to our right side
our left shoulder out to our left side
the centre or ‘core’ or focal point.
The energy radiating from our face, our eyes, our heart, our torso. Craig Kirchhoff calls it “the smiling torso”.
Exercises to heighten body awareness
Exercises to heighten body awareness
Spend time exploring what your body does so naturally:
Spend time exploring what your body does so naturally:
Rotation of wrist, forearm, shoulder and clavicle.
Isolating the movements up and down of fingers, wrist, forearm and shoulder.
Isolating lateral movements of wrist, forearm and shoulder.
The 'screwdriver' grip. Try it!
Using the base of the hand as the fulcrum, place the thumb in a vertical position, a horizontal position, and now at 45 degrees from the vertical and horizontal planes. (This is Steve's ideal all-round position of the right hand).
Horizontal plane (Table plane): Imagine a table has a hole in the middle and is lowered over your body down to your waist. Explore the surface of the table with both hands (legato gesture).
Horizontal plane (table plane): Using the tips of your fingers run your fingers laterally (palms facing floor) along the front edge of the table maintaining contact with the surface at all times. You’ll need to stretch at the extremities.
Vertical plane (door plane): Imagine the surface of a door in front of you. Explore the surface of the door with both hands.
Vertical plane (door plane): Using the tips of your fingers run your hands and down (palms facing floor) the surface of the door maintaining contact with the surface at all times. Again, you’ll need to stretch at the extremities.
Explore touching/feeling/swimming in sounds. The sound is right in front of you. You can touch it, direct it, mould it and manipulate it.
Bouncing the ball (legato). Both hands
Making shapes with a sparkler, the sideways ‘figure 8’ (legato)
The ‘squeeze box’ or button accordion technique – squeezing in and drawing out of the bellows (legato and very effective when varying dynamics on long-ish notes and fermatas)
The ‘wrist flick’ – Practise this using a baton on the music stand as if attempting to gain attention from your players prior to the music starting. Alternatively, think of ‘flicking’ a droplet of water from the tip of your baton or fingers (staccato).
Practise the ‘wrist flick’ in the opposite direction. This can encourage ‘bright’ sounds from your group (staccato).
Lightly dotting 'i’s with both hands or typing. This a very good gesture to reinforce staccato or anything pointed or neat (staccato).
Tracing a circle with the right hand while the left hand moves up and down at different speeds, good for showing dynamic indications (dynamics)
Tracing circles with both hands (like you are lost!)
‘Wax on Wax off!’ - Mr Miyagi may be gone but the legend lives on (cut-offs).
Cradling the head of a baby (fermatas)
Practise the feeling of painting a wall.
vertically - ensure that the brush (baton) itself never leaves the surface of the wall, thumb at 45 degrees (tenuto).
horizontally - ensure that the brush (baton) never leaves the surface of the wall, thumb at 45 degrees (tenuto).
Spa time! Dragging your hands through the water, experiment with right and left hands, then together (tenuto). Experiment with vertical and horizontal hands. The wrists lead the way in both directions.
Float – hands floating on top of the water
Buttering bread, smoothing wrinkles in a cloth (tenuto, sostenuto)
Pushing a car, going through a revolving door (marcato, tenuto, sostenuto depending on the force and weight behind the gesture).
Pushing a weight in a downwards direction with little or no rebound
Punch – boxing (strong weight, heavy marcato, quick time)
The ‘fly fisherman’ – little or no rebound (great for the beginning of Beethoven 5 or promoting a resonant sound with breadth).
Posture
Posture
Correct, relaxed posture is the foundation for good conducting technique
Correct, relaxed posture is the foundation for good conducting technique
Stand erect with your feet 30 cms apart
Core alignment in the centre of the body – smile!
Body straight to the group
Ready or home position is born out of an embrace. Have your arms extended forming a circle with the back of your body. Your elbows should be slightly in front of your body, not by your sides
Keep your knees straight but not locked. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Have spring in the legs
Keep your shoulders back, though not stiff or uncomfortably rigid
Hold your head high with your neck relaxed. Elevate the spine as if pulling the head up with string. Elevating and expanding gives us more presence and impact
Don’t lean towards your ensemble (think of what your audience will see!)
When you turn your upper body to face sections of the ensemble, do not give the impression that your feet are nailed to the floor. Change your foot position for a more decisive turn or move
The ‘one step rule’ from the centre (focal point)
As the performers cannot see what you do from the waist down but the audience can, try to confine all movements to above the waist.
The podium
The podium
Using a podium is at the discretion conductor and will be dependent on the type of ensemble - choir, band, small band/ ensemble, jazz ensemble, combined choir and orchestra.
Why fight gravity?
Podium dimensions can depend on the size of your ensemble: 1m x 1m x 15 cms is ideal.
The symbolism of the podium can help with discipline problems and improve the efficiency of your rehearsal.
The baton
The baton
Using a baton is at the discretion of the conductor and their individual preference. It is often governed by the style of music and the type of ensemble - choir, band, small band/ ensemble, jazz ensemble, combined choir and orchestra.
The baton, by enabling its user to shorten the distance the arm travels, reduces fatigue in a long or strenuous work or program of music.
Important factors are length, weight, balance and construction.
Some suggestions:
Mollard batons - http://www.mollard.com
Custom batons - info@custom-batons.com
Case batons (Australian company) - https://www.casebatons.com
Holding the baton
Holding the baton
The baton should be an extension of the arm, does the grip enable your players to focus clearly on the tip or does it detract from this?
The screwdriver grip
Use the baton in the right hand.
The baton is held, fundamentally, between the tip of the thumb and the side of the index finger.
The heel of the baton rests in the fleshy hollow near the base of the thumb.
The ring finger lightly contacts the heel of the baton.
The hand should be at 45 degrees from the horizontal plane.
The tip of the baton should point forward, slightly to the left and should not be higher than eye level.
The angle of the baton can encourage different colours, bright and dark from your ensemble.
The conducting frame
The conducting frame
The conducting frame is an imaginary box from the top of the head to the waist horizontally and approximately 10 cm to either side of the body.
Only go outside the conducting frame for special emphasis usually in passages requiring a full ensemble and consequently a big sound.
Starting the sound
Starting the sound
Set up your ensemble's breath with your preparatory breath. The speed of breath intake is commensurate with the tempo and style of music you are conducting.
The golden rule is the upbeat must start one full beat before and be in the exact tempo of the music that is to follow.
Young conductors take heart; even the most highly respected professionals were not immune from the upbeat versus tempo virus.
Maestro Wilhelm Furtwangler’s upbeat was famous for all the wrong reasons! Members of the Berlin Philharmonic were said to be fond of relating that “we counted 7 shakes, then we played.”
Maestro Serge Koussevitsky’s upbeat was also a cause for wonder as to how the orchestra knew when to play….
“If you were on stage there were 2 choices and both worked. The first was to watch the concertmaster, Richard Burgin. When his bow came down everyone played. The second choice was a favourite of many players, which was to attack after his baton had passed the third vest button. Perhaps that was what the concertmaster did.”
Festival of Instrumental Music - photo credit: Anna Warr
Preparatory beat
To start the sound, the conductor has to signal his forthcoming intentions regarding speed, dynamic, style and the combination of instruments involved.
This is done in a special motion called the preparatory beat, which precedes the first playing beat. The preparatory beat must be in the tempo of the piece.
The style of the preparatory beat should set the mood of the music. The size of the preparatory beat usually dictates the coming dynamic. Establish eye contact, then breathe as you initiate the preparatory! So much information can be conveyed to the musicians about the sound you wish to create before a note is even played. A good preparatory beat can solve many problems provided you watch them and they watch you.
The wrist flick
The wrist flick
Demonstrate proper wrist action to define the exact point of beat. This point is defined precisely by a small snap of the wrist, variously called the rebound, flick, click, bounce, recoil, tap or ictus.
Stopping the sound (releases)
Stopping the sound (releases)
Train each hand in the several directions shown and apply them as needed - to end the piece, to cut off notes before long rests, and, in the case of choral music, to control precisely the pronouncing of a final consonant. The hand stops still at the end of the gesture.
Now practise stopping sounds in the opposite direction, essential for putting you in the right position in preparation for the next beat on beats 2 and 4 in a 4/4 bar for example.
The time beating gestures
The time beating gestures
First things first: you are not there primarily to conduct a pattern at your players. Your job is to teach them to play in time in order for you to be free to ‘craft’ their sounds, at all times monitoring that things are progressing in an orderly and musical way.
The simplicity in the standard beat patterns allows the conductor the freedom to be able to convey and bring to life all of those seemingly insignificant dots on the page.
The pattern gives us the framework from which we can not only conduct the music but in fact ‘be the music’.
Having a clear beat pattern is an essential starting point for conductors. It is our fundamental technique that should become automatic.
Once the patterns become second nature to us, and this is a very important facet of what we must do, it is then the time to manipulate the patterns in order to reflect in a visual way what you perceive the composer is trying to convey and also and very importantly what you would like to convey in the music.
While no 2 conductors conduct exactly alike, there exists a basic clarity of technique that is instantly and universally recognised. When this clarity shows in the conductor’s gestures, it signifies they have acquired a secure understanding of the principles upon which it is founded and the reasons for its existence, and that this thorough knowledge has been reinforced by careful, regular, and dedicated practice.
Musicians of all ages require the conductor to be consistent and positive with their gestures. ‘Impulse of will’ is paramount here.
The performers must know what you want before the actual event in the music; hence the preparation for each beat begins in the opposite direction.
Every time-beating gesture has 3 parts: the preparation (the motion leading into the beat point), the beat-point itself (the ictus), and the rebound after the ictus.
Pattern clarity is the first goal of time beating. Keep in mind:
The placement of each beat, specific to meter. Here the logic of the pattern is crucial; don’t fight the laws of nature unnecessarily. Avoid flowery and excessive patterns that more resemble the motions of an out of control garden hose!
The direction of approach to each beat.
Tempo – the speed of your preparatory and subsequent conducting pattern sets and maintains the tempo.
As long as the baton is moving, the sound continues. When the baton stops, so should the music.
Style is indicated by the manner in which the baton moves:
Legato – a smooth flowing pattern with the emphasis on horizontal (not vertical) movement. The hands never stop moving save for releases. Flowing movement from the elbow principally. Avoid too much movement from the wrist. Use the 'bouncing ball' technique.
Staccato – crisp, ‘snappy’ wrist flick within the pattern. The emphasis again is not on heavy downbeats and more on the rebound. Practicing flicking droplets of water off the tip of the baton or fingers will help promote the lightness and crispness necessary.
Marcato – definite, vertical energy towards the ictus. Every beat is a downbeat with little rebound.
Tenuto – a very heavy legato gesture is required, the wrist leads the tip of the baton in ‘dragging the beat’, again with the emphasis on horizontal movement ('hands in the spa').
Dynamics – generally speaking, the speed of the gesture dictates the dynamics not the size. Tempo will be a consideration here.
Creating ‘bright’ and ‘dark’ sounds with the angle of the pattern and speed of the rebound.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Australian conductor Simone Young is one of the world's great conductors and since 2005 has been general manager and music director at the Hamburg State Opera and chief conductor of the Hamburg State Philharmonic. She's also the city's general music director.
In this video Young gives us a conducting master class, talks about juggling all her responsibilities and gives us insights into life in Germany.
Australian Conductor Simone Young | Insight Germany
Duration: 42:32
Third-party content attributions
Third-party content attributions
"Richard Gill AO: Celebration of a life" by Hecuba's Story is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
"Bruckner A. Symphony No. 4 -romantic- -original 1874 Version- -hamburg Philharmonic S. Young- Simone Young Oehms Classics" by iClassicalCom is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Arts Unit music festivals images, photographer: Anna Warr.
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