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Rushing, dragging, wrong rhythms, composite rhythms
1. RHYTHM

- have a system for counting/make sure you’re all speaking the same language
- establish the pulse (conducting, metronome, drummer)
- show subdivisions and how rhythm fits within those subdivisions
- improve conducting baton technique
- adjust the music for rehearsal – remove ties, ornamentation, change articulations
- rehearse slowly – return to performance tempo incrementally
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Melody can’t be heard over accompaniment or chords are out of balance
2. BALANCE

- have the melody play alone so everyone can hear the melody
- isolate and balance the chords within and between sections
- pyramid (lower parts play louder – assign dynamics)
- adjust the seating – parts on the outside will be heard more
- stack the sections – put better players on the lower parts, put more players on lower parts
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Voices are sticking out
3. BLEND

- work on intonation and balance
- all must play with a characteristic sound (air and ear)
- use a tuner
- have the ensemble sing
- play chorale or slow, tuneful, tutti selections that are easy enough to concentrate on the sound rather than the technique
- must establish and continually reinforce
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Too loud, too soft, not enough variation
4. DYNAMICS

- use a numbering system – 1 (pp) through 5 (ff)
- analogy of a big volume knob or slider
- work on dynamics in the warm-up
- improve conducting baton technique and demand response from the ensemble

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Playing in the wrong style (note length and articulation)
5. STYLE

- sing (conductor and ensemble)
- model for the ensemble (sing and play)
- listen to live and recorded examples
- develop an arsenal of articulations (marcato, staccato, legato) at all dynamic levels
- explain music as motion, identify the target pitches

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