Conducting more than a beat pattern

One of the first things you learn when you learn to conduct is how to conduct a beat pattern. That’s a good start, but there’s so much more to conducting than the beat pattern.

You can conduct dynamics with the size of the beat pattern that you’re conducting. You can also use your left hand to add in dynamic changes like crescendos and decresendos. Lifting your hand up and down can be a useful way to do this.

You can add in articulations by changing how you conduct your beat pattern. If you conduct smoothly, like you’re spreading nutella or peanut butter, you’ll be conducting legato. If you conduct like you’re chopping up carrots or celery you’ll be conducting staccato. Sharper and more punchy beats will be staccato and smoother beats will be legato.

You can use your other hand for phrasing if you want to.

Cues can be given a number of different ways. I like to use my left hand to give cues by either pointing at the person or motioning towards them with an open palm.

Cut offs can be given with both hands or just the left hand. Different types of cut offs can be given with the left hand than both hands. I often will give a cut off with my left hand if it’s only for a specific group of people. If I give a cut off with both hands it’s for everybody.

Accents can be given with either hand. Depending on the type of accent it might be easier to give with one hand than the other. An off beat accent can be given with the left hand easily, or it can be given with the right hand by bouncing on the beat quickly almost as if you’re trying to take away the beat from the orchestra.

You can also give other cues with your left hand. Any other type of hand gestures or symbols that you’d like to give to the ensemble can easily be given with the left hand. I’ve heard of conductors teaching the students different words in American Sign Language (ASL) and using those for different things during the performance. I’ve never done that myself, but I could see how that would easily communicate certain ideas with the players.

There’s lots of ways to communicate different musical ideas with your hands. Especially if you use both hands.

There are probably a lot of things I missed here, but these are some basics to get yourself started.

ISJ