Basic Conducting Techniques

by Labuta, Joseph A.

• ISBN13: 9780131121089
• ISBN10: 0131121081
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Summary

The Fifth Edition of Basic Conducting Techniques provides sound, practical, hands-on procedures, techniques, guidance, and materials for the beginning conducting class. Joseph A. Labuta, an experienced musician and educator, employs a broad repertory of musical excerpts and scores, most reduced to four-part format, which enables students to work with an ensemble of class members to practice conducting and rehearsal techniques at each class meeting. Features: bull; Along with each carefully selected example from music literature are specific instructions keyed to the text, identifying conducting problems the student must master to develop conducting skills. Excerpts include orchestral materials, band scores, as well as choral music excerpts, choral scores, and choral rehearsal techniques. Modular format for self-paced learning; provisions for ongoing student evaluation, including rating scales, checklists, and analytical guides. Alternate approaches for use of the materials provided to the instructor. New to the Fifth Edition: bull; Transposed parts for the musical excerpts in Part III. Examples of score analysis for students to use as models. More detail and elaboration of instruction preceding the excerpts. A Mastery section for challenge and evaluation. Additional photographs to clarify and model techniques.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

I. CONDUCTING TECHNIQUE.

1. The Baton, Preparation, Downbeat, and Release.
2. Beat Patterns and Preparations in Tempo, Dynamic, and Basic Style.
3. Preparations and Releases for All Counts.
4. Fractional Beat Preparations.
5. Divided Meters.
6. Conducting Musical Styles.
7. The Fermata.
8. The Cue.
9. The Left Hand.
10. Asymmetrical and Changing Meters.
11. Tempo Changes and Accompanying.

II. SCORE PREPARATION AND REHEARSAL TECHNIQUE.

12. Analysis and Score Preparation.
13. The Instrumental Rehearsal.
14. The Choral Rehearsal.

III. MUSICAL EXCERPTS.

15. Chapters One through Twelve.

APPENDICES.

A: Competencies for the Beginning Conducting Class.
B: Student Evaluation.
C: Chart of Transpositions and Clefs.
D: Full Score Instrumentation and Foreign Equivalents.
E: Counting Drills for Uneven Meters.
F: Musical Style Chart.
G: Glossary.
Selected References.
Index of Musical Excerpts.

Excerpts

Basic Conducting Techniquesis a practical and innovative textbook that provides sound, time-tested procedures and materials for the beginning conducting class. It features a broad repertory of musical excerpts and scores from the standard literature, more varied selections for class use than any other available source. Students and instructors have responded enthusiastically to the hands-on, conductor-competency approach of this student-oriented textbook with its clearly stated outcomes and performance tests for student guidance, actual conducting activities for student learning, and varied musical examples for students to study, practice, conduct, and rehearse. Since most excerpts are reduced to a four-part score format, students are able to work with an ensemble of class members and can practice conducting skills and rehearsal techniques at each class meeting. Thus, the book fulfills several major needs for teaching conducting in the classroom setting. The student can study the text material and scores, and conduct a live performing group using valid music. The musical excerpts consist of carefully selected examples from the standard repertory which illustrate the conducting and rehearsal problems that students must solve to develop conducting skills. The fifth edition contains several new features to facilitate use of text material: transposed parts for the musical excerpts in Part III; examples of score analysis for students to use as models; more detail and elaboration of instruction preceding the excerpts; a "Mastery" section for challenge and evaluation; and additional photographs to clarify and model techniques. Transpositions for B-flat, F, and E-flat instruments are included with the orchestral excerpts that are keyed to the chapters. Transposed parts minimize performance problems and save rehearsal time in classes of mixed instrumentation so that instruction can focus on the specific conducting techniques to be mastered. Chapter 12 contains complete examples of scores analyzed and prepared by conductors with the "Three Basic Steps" of score preparation. Using these examples as models, students can prepare themselves to take charge of the class performing group and lead them through the assigned excerpts anal other scores they may conduct. The specific instructions that precede every excerpt in Part III help students integrate conducting techniques as they arise in the music they are conducting, regardless of the specific focus of the chapter they are studying. For example, the study of left-hand technique is the principal topic of Chapter 9; however, students should begin to use their left hand for signaling dynamic changes as early as the first excerpt in Chapter 2. Although the purpose of the learning modules as originally conceived was to focus on a specific area of technique to be mastered, the intent was never to exclude any techniques specific to the actual music studied and conducted. Research and experience confirm that no one sequence of materials as presented in a textbook works for all students. The sequence may appear logical to some author, but students' backgrounds and experiences differ. The professional teacher/model remains the critical element in class organization and sequence. In this workbook, students can start using appropriate conducting techniques as they arise in the musical excerpts and as their competence increases. The detailed suggestions and directions for excerpts are cross referenced to the chapters to guide students' conducting, practicing, interpreting, and rehearsing. A new "Mastery" section for score analysis (Chapter 12) and rehearsal technique (Chapters 13 and 14) has been added. Some of the longer and more complete excerpts have been moved to this section to challenge students and provide extra incentive. These excerpts can be used by the instructor to evaluate student progress and assign extra credit. New photographs depict with g