CLASSICAL MUSIC ARCHIVES: Conductors Tip 18

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Conductors Tip 18
SCORE STUDY #1: RECOGNIZING WHAT TO REHEARSE

Dear Colleagues,

Score study is a top priority for conductors at all levels.

But school ensemble leaders have special concerns, since the kind of score study most of us learned isn't always helpful for our rehearsals, and there's so little time to prepare.

In this Tip (and several that follow) I'll share an approach to score study that's easy, doesn't take lots of time, and can be terrifically effective. This approach can leverage the value of your score study and create rehearsals that produce active involvement, as well as significant, lasting musical growth. What a deal!

When we know the score, we're able to:

Feel good about ourselves;
Lead productive rehearsals;
Model important behavior we want from our students, including:
- Being Prepared!
- Knowing what we want!
- Looking Up! (if we know the score, we can watch them, not our scores)
Send this important message to the kids: I care enough about you to make sure I lead a rehearsal that gets everyone involved, and creates results that inspire us all.

The approach suggests that score study and rehearsal planning are pretty much the same thing; in the process of planning your rehearsal, you will have studied your score.

As a way of beginning to understand and use this approach, try these two basic steps:

1. Identify spots that will need rehearsing.

In the opening of the second movement of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, it's likely that, among other problems, the eighths in the first full measure won't be together.

2. Decide how you'll rehearse those spots.

To get the eighths off to a good start, have the violins play eighths in the pickup measure instead of the second quarter note. Then, have the firsts play eighths in the first full measure instead of the dotted quarter. As the violins listen to (and watch!) each other, the eighth notes will begin to get closer. Then have the violins think the eighth note subdivision but play what's written. After some work, including putting the rhythm in their bodies (see below), the rhythm should be really tight.

If you've thought all of this through while looking at the score, you're sure to know the score in those (and similar) spots.

In order to put this into practice, we need to be able to identify spots that are likely to need rehearsing. You'll find a catalog of many typical spots in this Tip and the ones on Score Study that follow.

The rest of this Tip is devoted to identifying rhythmic problems when going from longer notes to shorter notes. Here's the basic idea: shorter notes following a longer note are usually not sung/played in time.

The solution is to subdivide. Rehearse by having them sing/play the values of the shorter notes during the longer note. In this and the following examples, I've added accents on certain notes. Consider asking students to sing/play the accents in the early stages of learning the subdivision concept, adding the physical element will help it stick.

Here's another example:

Again, the solution is to subdivide. Rehearse by having them sing/play the values of the shorter notes during the longer note:

Here's a variation to watch for: when the longer note is dotted, a following shorter note is usually late:

The same solution applies here: subdivide. Rehearse by having them sing/play the values of the shorter notes during the longer note.

Another variation to spot: when there is a tie, the (shorter) note following the tied note is almost sure to be late:

You guessed it. Same solution: Subdivide. Rehearse by having them sing/play the values of the shorter notes during the longer note:

When you've identified spots in the score that present these challenges, determined the issues and sections involved, and developed your rehearsal strategy, you're sure to have learned the score in these spots.

In subsequent Tips, we'll identify many more issues that are sure to come up so you can add them to this rehearsal-oriented approach to score study.

IMPORTANT: Saying the concept isn't enough to make it happen and keep it happening from one rehearsal to the next. The young musicians have to experience it; mere understanding an idea or concept won't work and won't last.

It's not enough just to sing or play the shorter notes to get a sense of the subdivision. The pulse of the notes has to be physical; there will be no change unless the young musicians feel the pulse in their bodies.

If you merely say "Please subdivide that half note into eighths" and then move on, it'll have virtually no effect.

Instead, have them sing/play the subdivisions over and over and then; they must move to get it right. Haven't they danced, for goodness sake? Have fun. Get them to stand up and bounce to feel the pulse of the subdivided notes. They'll love it.

Of course, you'll have the lead the way. If you do: transformation. Guaranteed.

With All Best Wishes,

David Barg, Learning Center Director
The Classical Archives, LLC
email: david@prs.net

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