Eight Weeks to a Better Ensemble
by: William W. Gourley
Is your band or orchestra not sounding like you want it to? Is the tone non centered, lacking finesse and strident due to poor embouchure development? Does your ensemble constantly struggle with rhythmic stability and technical proficiency? Are you frustrated by students that can’t play in the correct key signature? Are you at wits end with students who are never ready, can’t sit properly and demonstrate inappropriate behavior in class? Do rehearsals lack focus?
Well, fret no more. In as little as fifteen to twenty minutes a day in eight weeks, that’s right forty days, your ensemble can have a focused, blended, balanced and rich sonorous tone. Your students can possess improved technical facility, rhythmic stability and enhanced key signature awareness. In just eight weeks your rehearsals can have structure and be productive in a fast passed and nurturing environment.
The claims of an improved ensemble in eight weeks certainly sounds like an infomercial for the next weight loss scheme or piece of exercise equipment that will give you that Hollywood body in as little as six weeks. The fact is the vast majority of ensembles are two months away from these lofty claims. There are basic characteristics of successful ensembles that can produce marked improvement in eight weeks if they are diligently followed.
Class Beginning Routine – Building Focus
When students come to the band/orchestra class they are coming from a variety of experiences. Some may have just taken a math test, others were in the computer lab doing research, some come from the physical education class. One may have just broken-up with their boyfriend or girl friend or may be in hot water because they went way over their cell phone minutes and their parents are furious. Music depends on a cohesive mental focus and the class needs to have an established routine to create this focus.
Start on time - Establish a consistent time when the first note of the warm-up is to be played. That can be when the bell rings or a minute or two after. This is when everyone is expected to be ready to play.
No Announcements - Avoid making announcements at the beginning of the rehearsal. Most announcements can be taken care of in a rehearsal schedule that is handed out weekly, have them written in the announcement section of the white/chalk board, on the overhead or made at the end of the rehearsal. The students will adapt to the announcement procedure. If you are talking, students do not need to listen. If you are conducting, they have to play (in theory).
Attendance - Have a student take attendance during the warm-up. If your school policy does not allow this take attendance as the group is warming up. If you have a seating chart you can notate absences and tardiness as the students are warming up and write these down between exercises. Again, calling out names or asking section leaders to call out absences detracts from the focus of the class.
Display the day’s routine - Have the entire rehearsal written on the white/chalk board or on an overhead or on the television when the students come in. They should get up all the material in proper order before the baton drops for the first note of the warm-up. This will eliminate down time between rehearsal events that detract from the focus.
Warm Ups A, C, D, E Tonight 6:30 - Pep Band
Section 2 AbM & fm Tomorrow 7 a.m. - Jazz Band
Section 3 Chromatics F-F 2 octaves Friday - Trip Money due
Section 8 Thirds FM & EbM Monday, Feb. 13 – Test AbM & fm
Section 8 Form 5 BbM March 5 – Festival full uniform Tonguing CM & am
Tune
Choral 24
Holst 1st mov.
Ticheli
Sousa
Instituting these four simple strategies will establish an order to the class period. It is difficult to create art in a chaotic environment. The structure will carry over to the students’ overall focus as the rehearsal progresses. In essence we need to corral diverse mentalities in to a single mentality. Establishing a routine is the best way to get everyone in the same place.
Expectations
Ensemble members, from beginners to adults need to know what your expectations are. This will affect how you conduct yourself in the class. If you expect students to be ready when the class begins, to have their materials, sit with proper posture, play with good tone and ensemble unity and have their music prepared you will teach to these standards. You will approach the class looking for these characteristics and reinforce them in the students who are meeting your expectations by praising them with little encouragers like, “Great posture clarinets. Johnny, that’s the way to trigger the third valve slide on that D. Great sound trombones. Good attack.” This inspires the student and creates an atmosphere of cohesiveness.
If you are expecting students to be late, play poorly, have bad posture, and a lack of focus you will teach to these standards. You will look for these characteristics reinforcing them with statements like, “Sit up saxes. Stop talking percussion.” You will also allow poor attacks, releases, tone, etc. since the students are meeting your expectations.
You don’t need to explain your expectations in long lectures; just teach them through reinforcing those who are meeting your expectations. You will also need to be patient but one of the advantages of focusing on the positive is you learn to enjoy the class and joy is contagious.
Teach the Basics
So far we have just talked about getting the right mental focus in our class. Now we get to that 15-20 minutes a day stuff. What you do in the first part of the class will determine how the rest of the class goes and, eventually, how the concert will go. Every rehearsal needs to include development of the tools that are necessary to perform music. The first three categories should be done with some sort of external pulse whether it is a metronome or some sort of synthesized accompaniment. On of the advantages of a synthesized chordal accompaniment is it creates a pitch reference for the students.
Tone studies – The class should start with long tones and (for brasses) lip slurs in the middle to low ranges of the instruments at mp or mf and gradually expand the range for the first 5-7 minutes. Strings need to concentrate on bow control as well as pitch placement. Slow exact practice will pay great rewards in string intonation and tone. This will enhance control and sonority. I prefer to do the same routine for the first warm-up exercise everyday. This reinforces the routine. There are others who will vary the beginning of the warm-up but they still maintain some sort of routine. Be attentive to the details of quality blend, balance and uniform movement. I prefer to start with long tones because tone is the basis for everything we do in music. It doesn’t matter how fast the fingers work, if it doesn’t sound good who cares?
Scales - The next 3-5 minutes should be scales. Be sure you play scales that cover the full range of the students’ stage of development. If trumpets aren’t consistently playing in the low register daily, they loose this ability to maintain a good tone on the lower notes. If clarinets are not playing in the upper register every day they will loose their control on the higher notes. Strings need to keep fourth and fifth position under their fingers every day. Don’t forget to include the chromatic scale. This will keep alternate fingerings fresh. Again, be attentive to the details of quality blend, balance and uniform movement that you applied to the tone studies.
Tonguing/Bowing exercises – Again, these are skills that are developed over a period of time and must be maintained daily. These exercises include tonguing faster and basic styles of articulation for winds and strings need to work on different bowing styles for 2-3 minutes. As always, maintain the basic principals of ensemble blend, balance and unity of movement.
Don’t forget to do the tone studies, scales and tonguing/bowing exercises to a metronome or other steady pulse.
Tuning studies – Unison studies, chords and chorales that have simple homophonic movement that students can focus on listening for 4-5 minutes a day. Including some singing of chords and tuning notes is essential to building great tonal awareness.
If you add up the minimum times for each of these basic studies you will see they take 14 minutes. The maximum time for each equals 20 minutes.
Make Something Better
The last ingredient in the Eight Weeks to a Better Ensemble plan is to make something better each day. Obviously, if you are incorporating this routine, tone, technique and rhythm should improve. In addition, students should leave the class having improved some aspect of their music.
Eight Weeks to a Better Ensemble may not slice and dice or give you rock hard abs but it will definitely make your ensemble sound better.