Dr. Shames

Dr. Shames lesson

• work 2 pattern with a metronome
• watch elbow
• beat= the length of the smallest note vale
• conduct for someone, changing the length of the beat... then try and get them to syncopate
• 2 to 1, 1-2
• change pulse, 4/4 to 6/8
• play with light to heavy bounce
• vertical will speed up
• horizontal with slow down
• all sounds are upbeats
• Try to listen in different ways
• conduct on a table
• watch POSTURE
• practice with baton in fingers
• relax in the wrist.. watch beat
• Dont sing AT ALL when conducting, hear 
  

Dr. Shames lesson

• Conduct it like you play it
• show,completely, what sound, color, feeling    you are after
• practice the music one line at a time adding slowly
• hear the moving parts...there relationships
• where do the individual phrases go? whats the relationship?
• worry about dynamics later, phrase 1st
• drop arm freely, have emma catch it (exercise)
• more bounce in arm

Dr. Shames - rehearsal

•     widens arms and mirrors for a RIT

• to start the piece one hand is like a stop sign, baton ready...hits the plane with both hands and goes
• left hand fingers mold the sound like clay
  
• players really express what they are feeling
• follows singers when they come in, relie on the singer to give the phrasing
• instructs his soloists to put words on the solo.... does not matter what. it just must have meaning

Dr. Shames lesson 2/27

• Dog ear the pages the opposite way when you hear a mistake
• keep working to strike the beats in the same plane
• work big to small...small to big (PRACTICE)
• Beat with the right hand, and do something completely different with the left.
• More RELAXED pattern
• Remember THEY are doing the work
• Dont tighten the jaw
• stand up straight
• Watch Simon Rattle
• little facial movement, lots of eyes
• Work with a metronome
• play on the piano, one line at a time
  

Dr. Shames
3/19

• dont hit into downbeat, all in the prep.
• Practice Forte to piano transitions
• play with final cuttoffs...send them somewhere
• dont rush endings!
• think about how phrases, notes etc are distributed
• Where do tempo terms come from
• Hear the subdivision
• look at repitions...the text.
• always hear it, and the gesture will come from that.
• 4 pattern- hitm, bounce and fall naturally
• work with a metronome a lot
• hear the first few measures before you start, then the upbeat will be in time
• memorize all works, they need eyes
• Practice works in time....then tempo changes will come easily

3/20something

• in three pattern 3 should have a bigger upbeat than others and be inbetween 1 and 2
• Spend a lot of time with string player, know bowing - up and down.
  
• More importantly - where on the bow to play...how much hair to give
• keep hand straight when beating, dont turn it!
• controll beats by hearning the music in your head
• look for phrasings begingins and ends!
• You know you have it when you dont have to talk much
• keep the notes alive, dont just conduct a pattern!
• when working on bowings start an the end of the phrase and work backwards
• bowings highlight text
• get an idea of what you want before you meet with string player
• dont just show upbeats
• all beats on the same table!
• hit harder, move
• try subdividing in Gesualdo