I will never forget the first time I took my students to large ensemble festival evaluation. It was my first year teaching, I was excited about how far the students had come since the beginning of the year, and I was ready to get my superior rating and bring back a trophy. We got massacred. Upon receiving the rating and adjudicator comments, I confronted the judges on their break (not something I am proud of) to ask them how we could have possibly received such a rating. After all, these students had come so far since the beginning of the year. What did these judges expect to hear from a middle school band? Fortunately, the adjudicators gave me a lesson in tough love and explained that I needed to raise my expectations for what a middle school ensemble could and should sound like. After I listened to the performance recording I knew they were right. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get the ensemble to perform to a higher standard.
When I looked at all the myriad categories on the adjudication sheet, I realized that getting a top rating at an adjudicated event meant more than just pushing the right buttons at the right time; the ensemble had to play musically, with all that entailed. In fact, they were even rated on their appearance and my choice of music. I was out of my league; I knew how to wave my arms and teach fingerings and embouchures, but my rehearsal techniques consisted of “let’s try it again” and “you have to practice more.” On top of that, I chose music that was far too difficult, and we thus spent rehearsal time frantically chasing notes and rhythms, which left no time for working on a musical performance.
Looking back, I am indebted to the adjudicators who showed me that in addition to picking more appropriate pieces for the ability of the ensemble, I needed to learn effective rehearsal techniques. Recently, I sent a request to a large and diverse group of esteemed band directors asking them to contribute any rehearsal technique gems that they had that corresponded to the categories and subcategories on the New York state large ensemble adjudication sheet. What resulted was a compilation of rehearsal techniques from an experienced and diverse set of expert band directors for every category and sub-category on the state adjudication form.
The directors who generously contributed to this article have a combined 270+ years of successful band teaching. I have compiled their responses in this article in hopes that new band directors (or even experienced band directors) can steal a few rehearsal technique gems to get their groups playing more musically. These teachers are identified by their initials as follows:
Michael Allen (MA), Boynton MS, NY
Bob Ambrose (BA), retired, Andover HS, MI
Drew Benware (DB), Saranac Lake HS, NY
Colleen Conway (CC), University of Michigan
Rodney Dorsey (RD), University of Oregon
Caroline Fitzgerald (CF), Mitchell Elem, MI
Kate Fitzpatrick (KF), University of Michigan
Lisa Furman (LF), Olivet College, MI
Eric Hummel (EH), Lansing HS, NY
Lindsey Micheel-Mays (LM-M), Mich Ctr. Schools
Barry Peters (BP), Ithaca College
Greg Rudgers (GR), Ithaca College
Jim Shouldice (JS), Johnson & Highland Elem, MI
Tone
Quality and Clarity
Play a chord, then sing it, and then play it again having students concentrate on open throat, matching pitch, balance, tone, control, and focus. (MA)
Play many long tones, emphasizing breathing deeply and producing wind, not air. (EH)
Have students play as they would normally; then have them do it again using more support. (BP)
Have a student who has a vibrant tone model something for the entire band and have the rest of the band try to imitate that tone. (BP)
Tell students that what they are striving for is a warm, dark sound similar to a pipe organ. (BP)
Have students listen to recordings of ensembles as well as solo instruments and chamber music to really understand characteristic sound. (CC)
Control
Have everyone play at the same volume so students can hear that every part is important. (MA)
Increase the dynamic until it is just under the “blasting level” (edge to the sound). Then play just loud enough to get a vibration, and hold it. (EH)
Have students blow cold air on their hands, then blow warm air on their hands. Then ask them to use the warm air to play. (GR)
Have the band play long tones with a crescendo for 8 slow counts and a decrescendo for 8 counts with as much control as possible. Emphasize a clear, soft attack at the beginning and tail off to nothing at the end. (BP)
Blend
Practice long tones on scales with the instruction to make the band sound like one person while doing so. (EH)
Make a bulletin board with pictures of individual fruits surrounding a smoothie in a blender. Discuss what makes a great smoothie. The students usually agree that smoothies are best when all the fruit flavors blend together and no flavors stick out or dominate the drink. Next, have students choose fruits to represent their instruments. Have them create “sound smoothies” ranging from chunky (non-blended) concoctions to smooth (well-blended) drinks. (LM-M)
Have students play everything at least one dynamic level softer than written while focusing on blend. Then ask the band to add more volume while keeping the same blend. Finally, add volume until they lose the nice blend and tone quality. That will be the volume limit until they gain more control of individual tone quality. (BP)
Intonation
Full Ensemble
Have students sing pitches and then match those pitches on the instruments. (MA)
Remind students that intonation is greatly improved by good blend and balance first. (EH)
Know pitch tendencies. You can then anticipate problems during score study. (BA)
Tune the band to Bb, A, F, and Bb in descending order. High brasses focus on Bb and F. Woodwinds focus on A and F. Low brass focus on low Bb. (GR)
Make sure that the tubas are in tune and then tune the rest of the band to them, adding instruments from the lowest to the highest. Then, have the band play a chord based on the tuning note, asking students to listen and relate their pitch to the rest of the band. (BP)
Have the band play a chord and ask students to go up or down by half steps. They have to adjust their pitch to the rest of the band and also hear the next chord before they play it. (BP)
Have one trombone play an F, while another plays an E and slowly slides up to an F. (DB)
If a chord is out of tune, build it from the bottom up. Once it is in tune, do not move on. Put it back in context starting a few measures before and playing until a few measures after. (KF)
Remind students to listen down for pitch; have them sing their parts while listening this way as well. (KF)
Have students pick a player across the room from them to listen for while a troublesome section is rehearsed. (KF)
Melodic Line
Have one player “drone” the tonic pitch while another plays the melodic line. (EH)
Emphasize the importance of hearing the next note before playing it. (BP)
Sing often. Record the melody and have kids talk with each other about what they hear. (CC)
Soloist/Individual
Clarity of parts is critical. Everyone must always know who has the melody and be able to hear it clearly. (MA)
Have students play scales slowly and listen for intonation. (BP)
Students must be able to internalize pitch before they can recognize pitch problems on their instruments. Have them consistently sing and then compare their internalized pitch to the one coming out of their instruments. (KF)
Sections
Intonation is a losing battle if students cannot audiate. Have students sing melodies, chords, and partner songs while audiating the resting tone. Electronic tuners are unhelpful in this regard. There should be a tuner burning party somewhere. (JS)
Have a first chair player match a given pitch and then add one player down the line at a time and wait until each player matches with the rest (GR)
Ask the woodwinds to play an arpeggio slowly. While they hold the last note, ask the brass to play a member of that chord so the entire band is playing the chord. Then ask the woodwinds to do the same thing up a half step and have the brass play that chord. Repeat the process until range becomes a real problem. While doing this, make sure the tone quality in the upper notes matches the tone quality in the lowest notes. (BP)
Balance
Full Ensemble
Remind students that if they cannot hear the section leaders and the tuba then they are playing too loudly. (CF)
Move your hands up and down as if moving treble and bass sliders on a large soundboard, with the low voices following the left hand and the high voices follow the right hand. Then adjust the “stereo” and let students hear different balances eventually settling on a dark, warm, beefy sound with a low brass and low woodwind foundation. (JS)
Make a bulletin board with a pyramid divided into three sections. Next, explain that each instrument belongs to one of the sections on the pyramid. Then have students create sound pyramids with different shapes. Continue trying new balance combinations until they achieve the correct pyramid of sound. (LM-M)
Rehearse middle and lower voices alone for richness and fullness; they are the chocolate cake. Then add the soprano voices and let that be a thin coating of icing. (GR)
Have a student or two stand in front of the band to listen for balance problems. They are usually amazed at what they hear since the sound is so different than what they perceive when sitting in the band. (BP)
Tell the band that the lowest players should be the loudest and the upper players should be the softest. If they can’t hear the low brass and reeds, they have to play softer. (BP)
Change seating so students sit in different places and hear different things. Sit is a circle. Stand around the room. (CC)
Individual Sections
Double the lower parts to help balance in sections. (MA)
Tell students to “get inside their stand partner’s sound.” (EH)
Tell students, “If you can hear yourself, you are either too loud or out of tune.” (BA)
Soloist with Full Ensemble
Have the soloists read up one dynamic and the accompaniment read down one dynamic. (MA)
Technique
Facility
Remind students to keep dexterity of fingers, clarity of tongue, and delivery of air independent of one another; do not relax or reduce the wind simply because a finger or tongue is moving. (EH)
Do daily technique drills as part of the warm-up routine. This can include technique books, scales, scales in thirds, and chromatic scale exercises. (LF)
Go slowly. Add a note from the beginning. Add a note from the end. Change the rhythms; eighth notes can become dotted eighth-sixteenth or sixteenth-dotted eighth. (GR)
Technical problems almost always arise form lack of understanding of the phrase. Remind students that with the proper inflection and direction, technique should take care of itself. (GR)
Give students one minute of group-individual practice time to work out tricky passages. (KF)
Take it note by note, then piece it together. This is especially good for discovering who is having problems. (KF)
Have students memorize especially tricky passages and then turn their music over. This forces them to internalize. (KF)
Change around the rhythm (short-long becomes long-short) until students have the fingerings and melodic contour under control. (KF)
Posture
First, have students stand with good posture (instrument position, head position, hands and arms). Then, have them sit with the understanding that the only difference between standing posture and sitting posture is that your knees are bent when sitting. (MA)
After telling the students to sit up, tell them to grow an additional 3 inches. (CF)
Have students move music stands forward and out of the way. (EH)
Accuracy/Execution
Accuracy of Notes
Have the student play a fast technical passage with a metronome at less than half tempo. As you coach them on musical aspects of the passage, slowly increase the metronomic setting one click at a time without them knowing it. (EH)
Teach students that home practice is where they learn their part. Band rehearsal is where they learn everyone else’s parts. (MA)
Attacks and Releases
Concentrate more on endings than beginnings. Have students sustain to the rests. (MA)
Teach students that wind creates the articulation, not the tongue. The tongue merely releases the wind. Then, think of slightly inhaling on the releases. This gives a nice lift at the end, especially from a fermata. (EH)
Draw a series of pictures at the top of the board for students to reference throughout the year. When students use incorrect articulations or attack notes poorly, point to the picture that you hear to highlight the problem for students to correct. (LM-M)
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Articulation
Use good role models. Many conductors have students play alone when they are playing incorrectly, why not have them play alone when they are playing correctly? You can then have others match what they hear. (RD)
With passages that include accents or mixed articulations, ask the students to play only the notes with one kind of articulation, such as accents or staccatos. (LF)
Explain the proper tongue position and procedure for starting a note. After the explanation, play a series of half notes listening for a proper beginning to the note. If, particularly in brass players, you hear an S sound, you know that the student is not using the proper portion of the tongue to start the note. (BP)
Create an articulation solfège system for chanting articulation just like we chant rhythm and sing solfège. (CC)
Create a bulletin board with a variety of images to illustrate the various articulations. Each image is accompanied by the vocabulary word and a series of four quarter notes on a music staff with the corresponding articulation mark. (LM-M)
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Unity of Ensemble
Play unison scales, gradually increasing the tempo as the band gets better. (BP)
Play the rhythms on a single pitch. Then add the pitches. (BP)
Have the band play without you conducting. They will have to depend more upon their own ability to count. (BP)
Have students play the line staccato to align all parts and really hear the moving gestures. Then play everything as written. (DB)
Mix up the ensemble seating to have students sit next to someone who does not play their part. Alternatively, mix up seating within sections only, having the back of each section sitting where the first chair player sits. (KF)
Get off the podium and have students talk to each other about how to improve. (CC)
Rhythm
Steadiness of Pulse
Practice scales and arpeggios and etudes with a metronome. (MA)
Have every other player play straight eighth notes instead of the melodic or harmonic line. This teaches subdivision very effectively. (EH)
When isolating rhythms, have the band count aloud while working with a particular section (e.g., the brasses count eighths while the woodwinds play). Ask percussionists to play eighths on the snare while the ensemble plays the line. (LF)
Physical movement is a good way to improve pulse and rhythm. Tapping a foot, having the band sway to the beat, and clapping a pulse or a rhythm are all things that may improve rhythmic accuracy, stop rushing, and provide a stronger pulse. (BP)
There is a warm-up game where the band counts bars of 4 aloud when your palms are up, silently when down. You can also expand to counts of 8 or more and only have them speak certain counts. This helps them internalize steady time. (DB)
Let the band play without a conductor. It puts the responsibility of pulse in the hands of the students and really makes them listen to each other. (RD)
Accuracy of Rhythm
Have students complete a Rhythm of the Day as soon as they enter each rehearsal. Notate the rhythm on students’ weekly practice log and leave space for students to write the counts directly below each note in the rhythm as well as the note values on the lines directly below the counts. Check the answers together once rehearsal begins. Then have students count silently while moving to the macro and micro beats. Next have students chant the counts out loud while continuing to move. Then have students hiss the rhythm while audiating the counts and continuing to move. Finally, have students play the rhythm while audiating the counts. (LM-M)
Have the students use rhythmic solfège syllables when figuring out rhythms. It gives them a sense of where the beats should be placed. (BP)
Interpretation
Dynamics
Teach students that dynamics, unless they are exaggerated, will probably not be conveyed to the audience. (BP)
Exaggerate louds and softs. Fortissimo means as loud as you can play with a good sound; pianissimo means as softly as you can play, not so softly that you cannot play. (EH)
Introduce each dynamic using a number as well as a name and create a visual. For instance, piano is a three on a scale of one to ten, whereas forte is an eight. Experiment with various dynamic levels by pointing to the visual then using the chosen dynamic to play a familiar melody. Once students are comfortable with the dynamics and their numbers, show the numbers on your fingers during rehearsals to silently remind students what dynamic levels to use. (LM-M)
When in doubt, crescendo. (BA)
Crescendo means start softer. (BA)
Have students crescendo ties over a bar line, especially in the middle of a phrase. (BA)
Style
Have students sing their parts and ask them to pay particular attention to the syllables they sing and how they will transfer to the instrument when playing a particular style. (LF)
For legato, play slurred, then add the tongue. I tell students to just touch the notes with the tongue as they go by. (EH)
Talk to the students about how spoken language is similar to the dynamics, style, phrasing, and expression in music. Loud and aggressive may be Mom telling you for the third and final time, “You need to get off the phone now!” and softer and smooth styles are similar to trying to soothe and calm a younger sibling who is upset. Talk about what the music is trying to say and how it should be said. (LF)
Have students play longer notes louder and shorter notes softer. (BA)
Have students sing on different vowels to reflect the different tone qualities you want. (DB)
Visualizations, such as playing a particular emotion or color, can be helpful. (DB)
Tempo
Tempo is related to excitement and relaxation. Quick tempos usually provide more excitement, as long as the band can play the technical passages with confidence. Slower tempos are sometimes more difficult to play. To keep the tempo from rushing, subdivide all beats as you conduct and have the students do the same. (BP)
Phrasing
Discuss as a group the shape and direction (whether the phrase is going or coming) of the musical line. Have students sing the dynamics and style and then try to match what they sang while playing. (LF)
Recite poetry monotone and then with inflection to then show how musical lines also have inflection. (GR)
Aim for the high point of the phrase, and avoid arriving there too soon. (BA)
Any time a phrase has repeated notes or repeated rhythms have students add some dynamic variance to keep it interesting. (BP)
Phrasing can be related to sentence construction. Teach students to take breaths where commas and periods would normally be placed. (BP)
Expression
Have students play with purpose; if all we do is play the notes on the page we are not saying anything. Every note is either going to or coming from somewhere; find out where and play with conviction. (EH)
Teach students that any note longer than a beat must go somewhere. (BA)
Crescendo the repeated notes. (BA)
Accent the accidentals. (BA)
Expression is something that can be related to telling a story. Have a student recite a sentence such as “The barn on the hill is red.” Then go back and have him accent various words to show that the same sentence can have different impact points and also different meanings. Then relate this to musical phrasing in that each phrase of music must also have some meaning. (BP)
Provide students with mental imagery or ask them to come up with some of their own. (KF)
Influencing Factors
Discipline/Appearance
Never cancel band rehearsals for any reason. Rehearsal time is sacred. (MA)
The silence at the end of a phrase or the end of the piece is an important part of the music. Have students freeze at the end until the conductor lowers his hands. Within the piece, raise and lower instruments in such a way that it does not attract attention. Do not squirm during the piece. (EH)
Discuss rehearsal etiquette with beginning band students early on. Talk about table etiquette as the way we behave when eating a meal and rehearsal etiquette as the way we behave when practicing music. Explain that all musicians adhere to the same standards of rehearsal etiquette. Remind students that you expect your beginning band to run like the Chicago Symphony, which means they are professionals who must act accordingly. (LM-M)
Talk to your students regularly about issues of respect, discipline, and others’ perceptions. Students need and thrive on structure and high expectations. They may resist and push back initially, but eventually they see and hear the results. (LF)
All rehearsals should be formal and instructive. Do not allow rehearsals to become recreational. (GR)
Discipline will be improved by setting up the room prior to rehearsal. You have to be organized and have a plan for the rehearsal. You have to be an example for students to follow and never ask them to do anything that you would not do yourself. (BP)
Adjudicators have an idea how the band will perform by the way students enter the stage and how they are dressed. Students should be taught that there is a mature way to act as a musician. That maturity will carry over to their performance. (BP)
Record video of students and let them see themselves. (CC)
Appropriate Choice of Music
There is a enormous amount of literature available; have students read through 25-30 selections each year. (MA)
This is not always a logical decision. Even if a piece is within the technical or musical grasp of a group, if they don’t understand it or buy into it, they will never make music with it. Sometimes a great piece is just not the right piece for a particular group. (EH)
The appropriate choice of music is essential and will probably have as much influence on the accuracy and musicality of the performance as anything you do in rehearsals. Pick music that will challenge the band but is also attainable. Make sure the music you choose is educationally worthwhile. Pick music that will improve the skills of the band, that will be enjoyable, and that will be pleasing to your audience. (BP)
Conclusion
Although my journey began with a search for rehearsal techniques aimed at getting superior ratings at festival, I know that the contributors to this article will agree with a piece of advice given to me by the adjudicators I confronted 15 years ago: Teach your group to play musically and the ratings will take care of themselves.
