Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [conducting]

Directing the performance of a piece of music or a musical ensemble by way of visible gestures.

53 questions
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Why are conductors' movements shifted with respect to the musicians?

I have noticed that, in a concert, the conductor moves in advance: sometimes, they move all of a sudden, and the musicians start playing louder only a little time after. I wonder why this is so: as an amateur musician, I think I would get very…
Plop
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What are the baton movements for different time signatures?

How does the baton move up and down and at a curve to determine the time signature? What are the different movement patterns for 2/2, 3/2, 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time?
jayjackson
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What is a typical career path to become a conductor?

Is the conductor trained as a conductor from beginning or is it so that a really good player of some musical instrument may eventually become a conductor? Can actually a typical conductor play himself at least in free time? If the conductor is…
h22
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When and why should the conductor be separate or not from the musicians?

Sometimes the conductor and the pianist or first violinist are the same person; sometimes they're different people. What are the advantages of each system? (I'm talking about inherent advantages, not advantages in specific instances such as "he…
msh210
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How to get experience as a young conductor?

Firstly, sorry if this question is off topic. I thought this would be the best place to post it. I'm a teenage composer. I've written a few orchestral pieces before, and I also am fluent at playing a variety of instruments. I'm interested in…
CC Inc
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How to read conductor's gestures from the side

I play soprano cornet in a British brass band. The ensemble is seated so that if the conductor spreads his hands as wide as he can, his left hand points at me and his right hand points at principal trombone, over on the other side of the band. I…
Brian THOMAS
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Why do conductors not need research-level musicology to succeed?

Question: Please see the title. Assumption: The conductor cannot imitate or rely on previous recordings, especially if a musical work has never been performed or recorded before. Argument: Any musician can master only ≤ 2 instruments…
user26407
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Why oughtn't conductors use and mirror both hands to indicate the beat?

Wikipedia doesn't, but let's, assume and focus on those moments when the non-dominant hand isn't necessary to cue ictuses or indicate "dynamics, phrasing, expression, and other elements". While some conductors use both hands to indicate the beat,…
user26407
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Importance of an orchestral conductor and their baton-work as timekeeper?

I've often wondered what the point is of someone keeping time with a baton or hand, when the orchestra is highly skilled and can understand the piece and the score to a very high standard. (I'm thinking in the context of major national…
Stilez
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Does the conductor sometimes play with the soloist (Or on his own)?

I watched the following two videos and it gave me the distinct idea that the conductor played something of his own choosing. Does this happen or am I getting my wires crossed? Malaguena: Pasacaglia:
Neil Meyer
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circles and other gestures not really keeping time

I notice Leonard Bernstein often conducts very expressively while leaving the time signature out of his gestures. I notice this especially when he conducts pieces that were written by Mozart. If he leaves the time signature and even the…
Caters
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How to understand the pattern in conducting?

I know the conducting patterns but how do I decide which song needs which pattern? I know it depends on beats and all, but I just can't get the sure shot method of finding the right pattern. can the same song have different patterns? for example one…
user70378
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