Conducting 4 beats per measure
Conducting 3 beats per measure
Conducting 2 beats per measure
Prepare to begin
The Preparation beat
The Left Hand
Cut Off
Practice
Questions
Student Conductors

The CONDUCTOR leads a musical group by communicating through arm, hand and body movement, as well as facial expression. The conductor's movement communicates the beat of the music, the speed, the loudness, the softness, and many other musical ideas. All conductors develop their own style over time, but there are some important common principles that all conductors must learn before leading a group.

CONDUCTING 4 beats per measure

When the music has a time signature of 4/4, the conductor must move his/her arm in a certain pattern, showing each of the four beats in each measure. The pattern is seen below:

 

When the hand reaches each of the beats, the conductor should make a "snapping" motion, much like that of tapping the fingertips on a countertop. 

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CONDUCTING  3 beats per measure

The pattern looks slightly different for music in 3/4 time signatures. The 3/4 pattern is seen below:

As in the 4/4 pattern, the conductor should make a "snapping" motion, much like that of tapping the fingertips on a countertop. 

CONDUCTING 2 beats per measure

Patterns of 2 beats are not always a 2/4 time signature, but sometimes 2/2 or even 6/8. This simple pattern is a down-up movement, shown below:

PREPARE TO BEGIN

To command the band's attention, the conductor should stand with arms down, looking over the band for readiness to start. The band should be in Concert Rest position, indicating that you have their attention. The conductor's arms will make a confident motion to the front of his/her body, "snapping" the wrists, much like tapping the fingertips on an imaginary wall. The band should see the palms of the conductor's hands. This is the indication that the band should snap into Concert Play position.

THE PREPARATION BEAT

The conductor must make a movement BEFORE the actual playing is to start. This will give the band the chance to take a breath and start playing at precisely the same time. This is called the preparation beat, and is always the last numbered beat of whatever time signature he/she is conducting. For example, if a piece is in a 4/4 time signature, the conductor will begin by signaling "4 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4....". When in 3/4 time, the count would start as "3 - 1 - 2 - 3...".

THE LEFT HAND

In conducting, the right hand does most of the time keeping. Usually, the left hand is not used for time keeping, unless the conductor wants to emphasize, or make a beat more visible to the band. When the left hand does a similar motion as the right hand, it is called mirroring. This is used at times when the tempo of the music changes, or where a downbeat needs to be more obvious. The left hand is mostly used to indicate loud and soft, as well as to cue different sections to start or stop playing. 

CUT OFF

The cut off is another way of saying "stopping" the music. Using both hands, the conductor swirls the hands in upward outside opposite circles from the bottom of the pattern until they reach the center. Closing the fingertips helps the players to see the end of the sound.

PRACTICE

While standing in front of a mirror, practice the hand motions for the 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 patterns. As you practice the patterns, count out loud, saying the number 1 louder than the other numbers. Notice that 1 is always a downward motion in any pattern, and is the indicator of the beginning of each measure. REMEMBER: the counting must be EVEN and PRECISE, just as if you were a clock! Try each pattern at slow, medium and fast speeds, until you can do them without even thinking about it! 

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