U TILIZE YOUR TECHNICAL STRING KNOWLEDGE

TO IMPROVE YOUR CONDUCTING

Conducting Technique: A General Overview

by Selim Giray

Once you truly believe in that, you will be able to persuade

Generally speaking, in the earlier stages of conducting, it is com- our ensemble.
mon to have certain difficulties connecting with the ensemble,
communicating strictly by way of conducting. The more efficient B) Showing accurate dynamics and articulation with the baton
you are as a conductor, the less you will have to rely on verbal We can safely assert the following: what bow control is to
communication, thus eliminating wasted time at rehearsals. Fur- string playing, baton control is to conducting. In the early
thermore, at your performances, you will have greater ability to stages of string playing, it is common for students to have
fix problems as they arise, and achieve a successful performance. a difficult time with bow planning and contact point. As a
When it comes to conducting, it makes perfect sense to draw result, the tone production is often unreliable and uneven.
from our countless hours of practice room discoveries and meth- Similarly, in the early stages of conducting, baton control is
odology. Simply put, a conductor’s basic reason for existence is the area that you need to focus on to improve your ability to
to beat time, and to show musical expression. In “beating time,” communicate accurately. Let’s imagine an ensemble director
there are a few basics that a conductor needs to master: shouting to the ensemble “Softer… more connected,” at the
same time beating a healthy fortissimo pattern with a staccato
A) Beating a constant tempo articulation. From a player’s point of view, that is receiv-
Beating a constant tempo is one of the challenges we need ing mixed signals. Often times, when an orchestra is having
to overcome. Showing a clear and constant beat is one of the ensemble issues, you may try using a larger beat pattern. As
requirements of a conductor. To do that, the beat pattern needs a conductor, you have to differentiate between getting your
to become second nature, much like our bow arm. If we think ensemble to follow you and keeping with the proper dynamic
about our first attempts at bowing on our respective string level in your pattern. In other words, when experiencing en-
instrument, we will remember a time when it was not all that semble issues, a larger beat pattern is not the concern, greater
natural. Similarly, you can expect a period of time, before con- clarity is. The proper solution is to teach your players to focus
ducting becomes second nature, and you can draw from your on the baton when the pattern gets smaller. One of the best
experiences of the bow arm. ways to do that is to play scales with your ensemble, but apply
How do the bow arm and beat patterns cross paths? nuances: dynamics, rubatos, unexpected cutoffs and pauses.
Let’s first leave the pattern out of the equation and make a Inaccurate dynamic level is not limited to ensemble-
bowing gesture with our right arm. It will quickly become problem spots. The case may be that the conductor is simply
clear to you, that unlike with the baton, it is merely impos- impervious to dynamic levels and articulation in one’s pattern
sible to have a disconnect with the music you are conducting altogether. As an educator, you have to not only buy into
by way of this bowing gesture. Until your baton technique be- proper conducting habits, but also teach your students to fol-
comes second nature, you may first refer to this bow gesture, low those signals, no matter how subtle.
and then apply it to the beat pattern. Let’s think of the products and exercises we utilize to
There are two challenges with the baton arm: the lack of correct bow problems at the beginning stages. Similarly, we
resistance of the baton, and the pattern itself. On our respec- can utilize a small wreath to limit our pattern to that elusive
tive string instruments, our bow arm is what produces tone. pianissimo. Try the following exercise: Hold the wreath in
It also provides a reliable continuous motion, and therefore your left hand, and beat the pattern with the baton without
complies with tempo giusto requirements. That is why, for making contact with the inner parameter of the wreath. Also,
instance, a student ensemble is much more likely to rush a you may practice your pattern in a pool to feel the resistance
pizzicato passage than an arco one. String resistance, forearm of water, a more viscous substance than air. Just like with the
motion and the arm weight help us with a steady tempo and bow exercises, focusing on a particular challenge will help you
when we pick up the baton, we miss the reliability of a bow get results.
arm. First, envision the baton moving in a viscous material,
and not through thin air. This will accomplish the extended C) Showing section or tempo changes
notes, or legato articulation. Also, let’s imagine that with our You can easily see the similarities of setting a tempo change for
baton, we are producing the tone that we are conducting: a conductor and performing a difficult technical passage of a
much like with the bow, the slower the motion the heavier concerto for an instrumentalist. Since these two challenges are
tone color, the faster the lighter. In other words, the firm be- so similar, you can draw from your string experiences. What
lief that “the baton itself makes tone” takes root in our minds. do you do to tackle those challenging areas? In the practice

44 | American String Teacher | February 2012

 room, to get comfortable and efficient, we take them out of context and apply a multitude of our specific exercises. When we face
complex passages, we simply remove those challenges layer by layer. That is, we remove all ornamentation, ties and bowings, and
break down the excerpt to its most basic and simplest form. (See Figure 1)

Let’s take a conducting challenge, a tempo change, and break it down and work on it in a methodical way. In the following excerpt,
we will remove articulations, dynamics, rubatos or accelerandos, fermatas, caesuras, then reintroduce them one-by-one in our practice. For
example, if we decide that the accelerando will go from MM 108 to 126, we will practice that with the help of the metronome. Then, we

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 will make sure that our beat in all three metronome markings is Bowings Associated With Various Articulations
accurate: from 108 to 126 in 4/4, and 78 in cut-time. Once we Détaché: Not legato nor marked, a simple pattern. We avoid
have the tempo accuracy, it is a simple procedure to reintroduce the any unintentional marking or accents (especially on the strong
other challenges: dynamics, articulation, fermatas. (See Figure 2) beats).
Legato: Giving extra attention to connecting between notes.
Parallels Between Bow and Baton Techniques When conducting, we need to move our right arm with the
Ball State University Professor of Conducting Leonard Atherton smoothest motion possible. Closely related to legato playing is
says in conducting, each beat consists of three parts: the concern of sustaining. Sostenuto playing will be achieved
by a legato conducting with the help of the left hand, as it is in
1. A preparation
crescendo.
2. An ictus—the point at which the precise beginning of a beat
Portato or louré: Slight separation between notes. In conduct-
is marked
ing, slight wrist movement combined with legato arm move-
3. A rebound1
ment.
As we know, the preparation of a bow stroke is essential in Spiccato: Less forearm, more wrist movement is needed.
making good contact and the follow through after the stroke, Martélé: Marked notes are achieved by a decisive forearm mo-
and works much like the rebound after the ictus. If you consider tion, just like with the bow.
retaking multiple triple-stop chords, you will quickly recognize Staccato: Good separation between notes. Much like marcato,
how well the baton and the bow motions correspond. except without the accent.
As novice string players struggle with this important por- Artificial spiccato (or slow spiccato): After the initial attack,
tion of bow stroke, the preparation, less experienced conductors forearm motion continues through the slow beat.
are likely to struggle with the same issue. For example, when the
It is quite apparent that proper conducting and bowing
ensemble does not respond to the conductor’s prep, or takes a
motions are very similar, if not the same. This is an immense ad-
completely different tempo than the one the conductor had in
vantage for string players. So, in the same way you work on those
mind, the culprit is inaccurate preparation.
bow strokes, we will work on different beat patterns and articula-
For conductors, good preparation for the segment of beat
tions in numerous metronome markings.
is achieved exactly the same way as the bow-stroke preparation,
by breathing. If you breathe and synchronize your prep with the
Sample Practice Regimen
breath, you will have a consistent and accurate result, just like you
The main goal in any practice regimen is eliminating bad habits
would with the bow: the faster the beat the faster you breathe, the
while reinforcing the good ones. Also, just like it is with string
slower the tempo, the slower you breathe. Also, faster tempos are
instrument exercises, use of a mirror and a video camera is highly
better executed with breathing through the mouth but not the
recommended.
nose—since we can breathe quicker with our mouth partly open.
Breathing and stretching exercises: Since conducting involves
Translating String-Specific Terminology and the Daily Instru- breathing and utilization of our entire body, it is highly recom-
mental Practice Regimen Into the Craft of Conducting mended to precede your practice with breathing and stretching
It is safe to say that a solid practice regimen is a bona fide survival exercises. An activity like yoga would address three important
tool for any string player. The technical work accomplishes two areas: breathing, stretching and meditating.
tasks: maintenance and improvement. The string player can Creating good posture: As it is with string playing, posture is
only maintain and improve upon the technical ability through a the basis of a solid conducting technique.
trustworthy daily practice regimen. Why not adapt your string Right arm exercises: Conduct an exercise from Phillips, McEl-
practice regimen into conducting? heran or any other standard textbook. Repeat with both arms.
A reliable baton technique, clear cut-offs, and clear indica- Left hand exercises: Sing a Bach chorale, or any hymn from a
tion of tempo changes are elements that define a good conductor. hymnal, while utilizing the left hand. Make sure to use the left
As you depend on your bow technique and this difficult task has hand when needed. For expressive purposes, entries and cutoffs
become second nature to you, the baton needs to come to the only—no pattern. Repeat with both arms.
same proficiency level before you may truly rely on the right arm. Study and perform your repertoire as a conductor in a perfor-
First, to comfort ourselves, let’s imagine that the baton is our bow mance, not as a “teacher” but solely as a conductor.
and forget about any pattern association and start conducting On weekends and teacher work days: Take up a new “chal-
in the same manner that we would use a bow. Furthermore, let’s lenge” such as a standard composition, whether you are likely
set aside the baton and create a bow grip. It will quickly become to conduct it or not. Study and prepare the score, and practice
apparent that the two activities are actually quite similar, when we conducting. Utilize this time to improve on your skills and find
take the familiar approach. With our bow, we have the prepatory new and more difficult challenges.
motion, the playing motion and the follow through. The same is
the case with conducting: the prepatory portion of the beat, the Scale Exercises, Trust and Communicating With Our
beat itself (or ictus) and rebound. In the string performance, to Ensemble
internalize the upcoming piece of music, you breathe along with • Avoiding student “auto pilot” susceptibilies with scale exercises.
the prepatory motion. To provide a good prep, you should never It is an established practice to start a rehearsal with scales,
lose your focus of breathing. especially in elementary and secondary education. It is among the
most efficient ways of teaching your ensemble to follow you, and

46 | American String Teacher | February 2012

work on your clarity of conducting gestures. Let’s take a rote two Sight-reading sessions with your ensemble.
octave G major scale. You will have a score: Quarter note equals It is a great challenge to sight-read with your ensemble. How-
MM 60 in common time using one note per bow. Crescendo ever, it is a greater challenge to sight-read in front of an ensemble
through the ascending portion of the scale, comma without a that knows the work. How about sight-reading with your col-
pause, and decrescendo through the descending portion of the league’s ensemble, close to its performance date? It is a wonderful
scale. Then, add a second layer of difficulty. Alter the tempo with way to test your ability to think on your feet, and to prove your
specific accelerandos and rubatos, and then change the comma communication skills in conducting.
with a caesura, with an extra prep. Next, replace the caesura with It is an invaluable strategy to think about the parallels be-
a fermata. Afterward, change the placement of the commas, tween the craft of string playing and conducting. It is apparent
caesuras and fermatas. Start your rehearsals with these exercises that none of us has unlocked the secrets of string instruments
every day, all the while increasing the difficulty level both for overnight, and without challenges. However, as our relentless
yourself and for your ensemble. Use cutoffs and pauses on weak training proved successful as string players, our knowledge and
beats, show accents on unexpected weak beats, and show different determination will prove successful once again in conducting.
articulations. Introduce different meters, including the compound We will improve our skills and serve our students as best we can.
and uneven meters. All of these variables will reveal your entire
Endnotes
conducting vocabulary to your ensemble, and improve trust. 1
Leonard Atherton, Vertical Plane Focal Point Conducting (Muncie: Ball State University,
Furthermore, you can utilize any exercise from your conducting 1989), 3.
classes or lessons.
Bibliography
Atherton, Leonard. Vertical Plane Focal Point Conducting. Muncie: Ball State University, 1989.
Using the Left Hand For Demonstrating Expression Bowen, José Antonio, editor. The Cambridge Companion to Conducting. Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press, 2003.
Left-hand technique for string instruments can be summarized by Braithwaite, Warwick. The Conductor’s Art. London: Williams and Norgate, 1952.
the following: scales and arpeggios, shifting, double-stops, trills Farberman, Harold. The Art of Conducting Technique: A New Perspective. Miami: Warner,
1997.
and vibrato. We utilize our left hand both for technical and ex- Gehrkens, Karl W. Essentials in Conducting. Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1919.
pressive functions. Similarly, in conducting, our left hand is used Green, Elizabeth A. H. The Modern Conductor. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1981.
for both for technical and expressive means. In short, we need the Grosbayne, Benjamin. Techniques of Modern Orchestral Conducting. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1956.
appropriate use of the left hand in all technical and musical com- Linton, Stanley. Conducting Fundamentals. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1982.
munication: cutoffs, entrances, and help with dynamics. When McElheran, Brock. Conducting Technique: For Beginners and Professionals. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1966.
you think about what the left hand is capable of, it becomes Phillips, Kenneth H. Basic Techniques of Conducting. New York: Oxford University Press,
apparent what a waste it is to revert to the dreaded mirroring. In 1997.
Rudolf, Max. The Grammar of Conducting: A Practical Study of Modern Baton Technique. New
reality, mirroring does not enhance your right hand, but simply York: Schirmer, 1950.
ties up your ability to communicate more effectively. Also, the Saito, Hideo. The Saito Conducting Method. Edited by Wayne J Toews; translated by Fumihiko
overuse of mirroring is much like crying wolf: in order for your Torigai. Tokyo: Min-On Concert Association, 1988.
Scherchen, Hermann. Handbook of Conducting. Translated by Michel Dimitri Calvorcoressi.
ensemble not to be desensitized, you have to extremely limit its London: Oxford University, 1933.
use. If you truly limit yourself to mirroring only in the case of
considerable accelerandos or rubatos, then you will get the most Selim Giray is director of orchestras and associate
attention with this gesture. Furthermore, given the fact that you professor of violin and viola at Pittsburg State
are already accustomed to be expressive with your left hand—as University, and concertmaster and assistant
in vibrato and portamento—you will truly appreciate the endless Conductor of the Ohio Light Opera. Recently, Giray
possibilities that your left hand provides on the podium. interviewed Eliot Chapo for The Strad. He recorded
a CD, titled Turkish Music for Violin & Piano
(distributed by Naxos and Amazon), and he edited
General Strategies in Improving Our Skills as a Conductor Saygun’s violin concerto for Peermusic. In January,
Guest conduct non-string ensembles: band and choir. Giray performed a recital at the Carnegie Hall
It is an effective strategy to put yourself in an unfamiliar and will tour Budapest, Istanbul, Asuncion, and Beijing. As a doctoral
environment, such as conducting a musical, to improve your candidate at the Florida State University, Giray studied with Eliot
conducting skills. Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Record your rehearsal. Selim Giray performs on a violin made by Anton Krutz. For more
Open the sound file in a music editing program, where you can information, please visit www.selimgiray.com.
distinguish between music and speech in the graphic form and
compare the two by percentage. How well did you do? Can you
challenge yourself to decrease the amount of speech for the next
rehearsal?
Ask a colleague to help with “role playing” and conduct.
Role playing is an exercise that conducting instructors utilize:
While the student is conducting, the teacher sings. However,
when asking your colleague to do this role playing exercise, you
can ask him or her to perform as your students would. Rush the
technical passages, drag the cantabile ones, and hesitate to come
in at the scary entrances. How well do you react?

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