Ask An Expert: Downbeats and hand waving
A question posed in the "Ask an Expert" feature on our site. Bethany Holt wonders:
"How does the orchestra conductor keep the tempo? Perhaps its because I'm used to high school band, but I see no downbeat--just a lot of hand waving that miraculously guides the musicians."
First of all, Bethany, sorry it took me two months to get to this question!
Second of all, excellent question, and one that, in many different guises, gets asked frequently. The simple answer is that all conductors give some sort of tempo indication (including downbeats), just in very different ways, and depending on the circumstance.
With a highschool band, you're talking about a group of young musicians who are at the very beginning of their ensemble playing experience; in this situation, clarity of beat (downbeat is ...HERE!) is of primary importance, and simply keeping tempo/ensemble is probably the primary function of a conductor.
When dealing with a professional orchestra of the level of, say, the Minnesota Orchestra, while establishing tempo and aiding ensemble is important, it's rarely the singular focus of whoever's on the podium. In fact, as Sam and any other member of the Orchestra will tell you, there are large swaths of music during any performance where the musicians don't really need a conductor acting as a metronome. At that point, the conductor's job becomes more about indicating articulation or dynamic motion or phrase direction or overall mood. And when you're trying to do that, indicating tempo in a very vertical way (ie, with big downbeats) can get in the way.
The more complex answer is that this all depends on the conductor as well. There are those who are very insistent on beat patterns (or large beats); there are those who rely less on points in a beat and more on velocity of movement to communicate tempo; there are those with a completely ambiguous physical vocabulary that still somehow get their point across. It's all a matter of intent, as well as every conductor's individual way of relaying that intent. And it always amazes me how orchestras can adjust, week to week, (or occasionally day to day) to different conductors.
So, yes, Bethany, I guess, in the end, there's actually something pretty miraculous about it!
"How does the orchestra conductor keep the tempo? Perhaps its because I'm used to high school band, but I see no downbeat--just a lot of hand waving that miraculously guides the musicians."
First of all, Bethany, sorry it took me two months to get to this question!
Second of all, excellent question, and one that, in many different guises, gets asked frequently. The simple answer is that all conductors give some sort of tempo indication (including downbeats), just in very different ways, and depending on the circumstance.
With a highschool band, you're talking about a group of young musicians who are at the very beginning of their ensemble playing experience; in this situation, clarity of beat (downbeat is ...HERE!) is of primary importance, and simply keeping tempo/ensemble is probably the primary function of a conductor.
When dealing with a professional orchestra of the level of, say, the Minnesota Orchestra, while establishing tempo and aiding ensemble is important, it's rarely the singular focus of whoever's on the podium. In fact, as Sam and any other member of the Orchestra will tell you, there are large swaths of music during any performance where the musicians don't really need a conductor acting as a metronome. At that point, the conductor's job becomes more about indicating articulation or dynamic motion or phrase direction or overall mood. And when you're trying to do that, indicating tempo in a very vertical way (ie, with big downbeats) can get in the way.
The more complex answer is that this all depends on the conductor as well. There are those who are very insistent on beat patterns (or large beats); there are those who rely less on points in a beat and more on velocity of movement to communicate tempo; there are those with a completely ambiguous physical vocabulary that still somehow get their point across. It's all a matter of intent, as well as every conductor's individual way of relaying that intent. And it always amazes me how orchestras can adjust, week to week, (or occasionally day to day) to different conductors.
So, yes, Bethany, I guess, in the end, there's actually something pretty miraculous about it!
Labels: ask an expert, conductors and conducting
posted by Sarah at
11:31 AM
3 Comments:
Over 50 years ago, Leonard Bernstein addressed this in his Omnibus episode for CBS, "The Art of Conducting", which is soon be be re-released in the States on DVD (with the rest of his Omnibus contributions).
I'm always amazed at how everyone can know when to start at the same time! And how a conductor's brain and actions can be a beat or whatever ahead of what's playing, all the while listening and responding to what's happening in real time.
I often try this sitting from my chair, but I can never do it for more than about 5 seconds. And it's always in the first half so Capt Morgan can help untwist my brain at intermission :)
Joe - I'm looking forward to those LB DVD's - he really was a master communicator, in all senses.
Steve - funny, Captain Morgan usually twists my brain!
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