TIPS FOR CHORISTERS

Basic Conducting Techniques

A. Skills for Conducting a Choir

Whether you conduct a congregation or a choir, your basic duties are the same: keep the singers singing together and help them interpret the music. A choir should sing with greater artistic refinement than a congregation, though, so you must use conducting skills beyond those needed to direct a congregation.

The skills you need to successfully conduct a choir are:

1. Effective preparatory beats.

2. Meaningful facial expressions.

3. Conducting with the left arm.

Using these skills, you can conduct a variety of tempos, dynamics, and musical styles. The choir can respond to your signals by singing with added feeling, making the music come alive for the listeners.

B. The Preparatory Beat

The preparatory beat and the moments just before it are when you get the music off to a successful start. As you take your place in front of the choir and raise your arms to conduct, make sure every member of the choir and the accompanist are ready to begin. In this brief moment, feel the rhythm and mood of the music. Feel the beat in proper tempo or count

a measure of beats to yourself. In this moment, an insecure feeling or facial expression can lose the trust of all those singing. Be confident in your calling and do not be afraid to lead the Choir. Do not be fooled, the Choir/Congregation picks up on insecurity/fear. Do not draw confidence in yourself, but draw confidence in God and that what you are doing is a ministry of serving him.

When all is ready, conduct the preparatory beat. Let this beat reflect your intentions for tempo, dynamics, and emotion. If the music is slow and solemn, the preparatory beat should be slow and give a feeling of solemnity. If the music is joyful or bold, the preparatory beat should show these moods. The choir can then respond from the very first note, singing with the musical expression you desire.

C. Facial Expression, Body Expression, and Eye Contact

Facial expression, body expression and eye contact are some of your most important tools. Use them constantly. To do this, you must know the music well enough to look away from it much of the time. Use your eyes, body, and face to tell the choir what expression you want them to put in the music. Before the music begins, give an alert and encouraging look. Use your shoulders to help start and stop the choir. When the music ends, show an expression of appreciation and approval.

D. Use of the “Tempo” or “Base” Arm

The job of the “Tempo” or “Base” arm (generally the Right Hand) is to be a constant source of timing and stability for the choir. It is wise to know some music theory here and choir directing basics so that as time goes on you may know more and more how to lead the choir. The basic job of the “Tempo” or “Base” arm is to set the pulse of the song. Directing an up and down “2 beat” motion is ok as long as the choir knows and feels the tempo of the song. The first beat of every measure or phrase must always come back to the same spot every time. For example, if the 1st beat of the song is a down beat that stops near your naval, every subsequent down beat or beginning beat must also stop there as well. This Foundation is the key in which all of your directing will come from. Listen to a lot of music to see where the “pulse” or down beat of the song is.

E. Using the “Expression” Arm

The “Expression” Arm (generally the Left hand) is very important tools in conducting a choir.

Here are some ways to use them:

1. Use both arms to give the preparatory beat and downbeat. Continue conducting with both arms for a full measure or more, letting your expression arm mirror your right. Then drop your expression arm to your side.

2. Use both arms for cutoffs and for mirroring the beat pattern for emphasis (especially when slowing or quickening the beat).

3. Use your expression arm and hand to clarify the style, mood, or phrasing.

4. Sometimes one or more vocal parts do something different than what the rest of the choir is doing. Use your expression arm to signal instructions to the choir while your Base arm conducts the beat.

Using your expression arm and hand can improve your communication with the choir. Too much use of the expression arm will limit your control of the choir. The expression arm is an effective tool but don’t overuse it. When you only need to conduct the beat, use your Base arm, letting your expression arm rest at your side.

If you are conducting a large choir, a baton helps singers see what you are doing and stay together. But a baton cannot express what the hand can in interpreting the music and is not as useful with smaller groups.

F. Choral Conducting Techniques

Expression	Conducting Technique
Loud (forte or f)	Use a large beat pattern, holding arms Solemn, reverent, or Use a smooth, rounded beat pattern with away from the body. Hold the expression palm legato soft bounces on the beat up, or let the expression arm mirror the beat pattern for emphasis.
Soft (piano or p)	Use a small beat pattern, with arms close to the body. Hold expression palm down.
Fast (allegro)	Use a quick beat pattern, with sharp motions and crisp bounces on the beats.
Slow (andante)	Use a slow beat pattern, with graceful motions and soft bounces on the beats.
Getting louder (crescendo or cresc.)	Use a beat pattern increasing in size. Hold the expression palm up and push it upward, moving the arms away from the body.
Getting softer (diminuendo or dim.)	Use a beat pattern decreasing in size. Hold the expression palm down and push it downward, moving the arms closer to the body.
Speeding up (accelerando or accel.)	Make the beat pattern faster, with motions becoming more crisp and the beat more pronounced.
Slowing down (ritardando or rit.)	Make the beat pattern slower, with motions becoming more graceful and the beat less pronounced.
Solemn, reverent, or legato	Use a smooth, rounded beat pattern with soft bounces on the beat.
Bright, joyful, or staccato	Use an animated, angular beat pattern, with sharp bounces on the beat.
One vocal line is more important than the others	Use the expression hand to signal palm up to the important vocal group, palm down to the other groups.
One part of the choir sings while the other is silent	Face the group that is to sing.
The silent part of the choir joins the singing part	First look at the singers who are to begin singing; then do a preparatory beat with your expression hand and bring them in. Mirror the beat pattern with your expression hand for a measure or more.
Part of the choir sustains a note while the other part sings other notes	Hold your expression hand, palm up, in the direction of the group that is sustaining. Continue the beat pattern with your Base hand.