Learn and practice the basic principles of running an effective music ensemble rehearsal. Techniques and strategies are applicable to a variety of ensembles, including bands, orchestras, choirs, and chamber groups.
Fundamentals of Rehearsing Music Ensembles
Offered By
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1An Introduction to Rehearsing
This week, Module 1, we’ll discuss basic philosophical issues such as: What we do in rehearsals, what skills are needed, and the idea of the conductor as “the composer’s advocate.” I will also introduce the concept of Macro-Micro-Macro, which serves as the overarching principle of rehearsals. Then we will move on to basic conducting technique.
21 videos (Total 167 min), 1 quiz
21 videos
What Do We Do in Rehearsals?9m
What Skills Do We Need?3m
Calibrating Your Ears6m
Serving as the Composer’s Advocate15m
A Choral Perspective: The Rehearsal Process4m
An Orchestral Perspective: Three Categories of Conducting11m
Introduction to Conducting5m
Basic Set-Up5m
Conducting without a Baton5m
Baton Grip5m
Basic Patterns21m
Active and Passive Beats6m
Starting Pieces8m
Ending Pieces6m
The Ensembles that Appear in this Course1m
Macro-Micro-Macro: The Basic Process5m
Examples of Macro-Micro-Macro: Breaking Things Down7m
A Choral Perspective: Teaching Notes8m
Rehearsal Demos: Macro-Micro-Macro24m
Conclusion52s
1 practice exercise
Module 1 Quiz20m
Week
2Communicating with the Ensemble
Module 2 begins with a discussion about repertoire: how to define quality music and how to choose a balanced, musically nourishing program. Building on the topics of Module 1, this week’s conducting technique videos focus on the grammar for starting and stopping pieces. In the rehearsal technique videos, the overarching topic is how to communicate with the ensemble to convey musical intent. Essentially, the idea is to give musical instruction, but there are a range of strategies we must master to be effective in all situations.This week introduces those strategies and organizes them according to modes of instruction, including performance technique, adjectives, analogy, and modeling.
17 videos (Total 114 min), 1 quiz
17 videos
Introduction49s
Finding Quality9m
Choosing Repertoire: The Musical Meal6m
A Choral and Orchestral Perspective: Repertoire24m
Count-offs: Additional Ways to Begin a Piece4m
Rehearsal Examples: Starting on Various Beats within a Measure4m
Stopping the Group3m
Changing the Size of the Pattern Based on the Music5m
Introduction to Rehearsal Segments39s
Directing People's Attention in Rehearsal3m
Who, Where, What / Measure Numbers / "Count with Me"6m
Using "I" and "We"5m
Insisting on What You Want2m
Strategies for Communicating Musical Ideas9m
Communicating with Various Modes of Instruction9m
A Choral and Orchestral Perspective (Multiple Topics)14m
Conclusion1m
1 practice exercise
Module 2 Quiz20m
Week
3Introducing the Rehearsal Toolkit
Week 3’s material begins with more left hand technique, expanding on the concepts introduced in Module 2 and continuing with gestures to show dynamics. The section on rehearsal technique begins with an explanation of the ‘Rehearsal Toolkit,” a collection of ideas, or “tools,” each designed to fix a musical issue. Rehearsal tools are meant to supplement the modes of instruction that were discussed last week. In other words, in addition to using direct vocabulary, modeling, and metaphor and analogy, these tools can elicit musical responses when gesture and words fail. A caveat: all of these approaches depend on the musicians having the technique required to perform the repertoire. This may seem obvious, but the fanciest baton twirl and colorful analogy are meaningless to help, say, a trumpeter, perform staccato if he does not tongue properly and employ good embouchure. Fundamentals must be taught, either in or out of the rehearsal, and the appropriate method depends on the level and age of the musician in the ensemble.Module 3 concludes with multi-purpose tools, including singing and “bopping.” These are the Swiss-Army knives of rehearsal technique, each useful for a variety of issues, from articulation to balance to rhythm. As you acquire the tools discussed in this module, also consider what else you can put in your toolbox. What techniques do you currently use? What tools can you borrow from other musicians? The more options we have in rehearsal the more likely we will be to solve a musical problem.
25 videos (Total 183 min), 2 quizzes
25 videos
Introduction56s
Introduction to Left Hand Technique: Statue and Mirroring4m
More Left Hand Technique: Statue, Mirroring, and Independence6m
Demos of the Left Hand in Rehearsal1m
Showing Dynamics and Dynamic Changes12m
The Importance of Technique as a Foundation4m
The Rehearsal Toolkit: Rhythm1m
Teaching Subdivision: Filling in the Rests3m
Thinking in Rhythmic Subdivisions12m
“Playing” without Sound: Active Resting and Handoffs8m
Working with Contrasting Rhythmic Layers5m
Cleaning Up Sloppy Entrances2m
Rests as Elements of Expression2m
Rushing6m
Meter, Accents, and Perception10m
Rhythmic Compression5m
A Choral and Orchestral Perspective: Rhythm16m
Multi-Purpose Techniques4m
Rehearsal Demos: Bopping Part I11m
Rehearsal Demos: Bopping Part II7m
Rehearsal Demos: Using Singing7m
Rehearsal Demos: Slowing Down the Tempo for Rhythm and Accuracy21m
Rehearsal Demos: Slowing Down the Tempo for Intonation and Balance7m
Rehearsal Demos: Slowing Down the Tempo for Articulation and Style14m
Conclusion1m
1 practice exercise
Module 3 Quiz20m
Week
4Articulation, Balance, and Tone
Module 4 begins with perhaps the most crucial task a conductor undertakes: score study. Score study is the umbrella term for the process of thoroughly learning a score-- not just knowing how to sing the melody or memorizing phrases and meters--but learning every aspect of the music that may come to bear on our ability to interpret, conduct, rehearse, and perform it. Unlike many grammatical aspects of conducting, score study is a time-consuming, immersive activity for which it is normal to develop one’s own process, assuming the end result is a deep understanding of the work.
After score study, Module 4 moves back to the grammar of conducting, particularly technique for conducting articulations. Please note that this week also contains a very brief introduction to the three types of fermatas. In Module 5 we’ll cover them in detail. These are topics for which regular practice and self-evaluation will be necessary to develop gestures that are clear to the ensemble and second-nature to the conductor.
Finally, we will return to “The Rehearsal Toolkit” and explore strategies for rehearsing articulation, balance, and tone. This final topic includes a video on using the piano to demonstrate harmonies and other musical features to the ensemble. Particularly in educational settings, it is important for the conductor to do more than treat the ensemble as his personal musical instrument. Instead, find opportunities to lead ensembles to an understanding of the music it is performing, a goal that only score study makes possible.
28 videos (Total 273 min), 1 quiz
28 videos
Introduction46s
Score Study22m
Applying Your Score Study8m
A Choral and Orchestral Perspective: Score Study23m
Applying Score Study to a Rehearsal26m
Cues14m
Conducting Articulations: Legato7m
Conducting Articulations: Two Variations on Legato2m
Conducting Articulations: Staccato and Accents8m
Conducting Fermatas and Rubato2m
Specific Choral Conducting Techniques16m
Specific String Conducting Techniques7m
Review: Two Themes of the Course3m
Exaggerating Style and Expressive Details5m
The Vocabulary of Articulation10m
Articulation: Accentuation through Emphasis and De-Emphasis3m
Bopping for Articulation1m
Developing a Legato Style4m
19th-Century Style with 21st-Century Ensembles8m
Additional Articulation Techniques10m
A Choral Perspective: Articulation and Diction11m
An Orchestral Perspective: String Articulation and Bowing16m
Balance and Tone16m
A Choral & Orchestral Perspective: Balance and Tone21m
Working with Dissonance3m
Using the Piano to Demonstrate Complex Harmonies7m
Where to Begin When You Don’t Know Where to Begin8m
Conclusion47s
1 practice exercise
Module 4 Quiz20m
4.8
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Top Reviews
By TB•Aug 28th 2015
This is a great course and also flexible to needs of students. If you get behind, the course is built to help you get back on track. I find this extremely helpful with a busy and irregular schedule.
By SS•Sep 11th 2017
This was an interesting and very useful course. Directors responsible for rehearsing ensembles will enjoy learning techniques, and even experienced conductors will benefit from revision and sharing.
Instructor
Dr. Evan Feldman
Associate Professor & Wind Ensemble ConductorMusic
About The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is known around the world for innovative teaching and research. Regularly ranked as the nation’s best value for academic quality, UNC has produced the most Rhodes Scholars for the past 25 years among U.S. public research universities.
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