The Yellow Board

The Yellow Board
[ The Yellow Board ]

Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by HS NV BD on 3/16/2023, 7:08 pm

Advice/suggestions welcome:

UIL is about 4 weeks away for me. After Spring Break, how do you get kids back into the swing of things and how do you pace music/sightreading from here until UIL?

Also, how do you wean off of the metronome as you get closer to contest?

Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by Energetic on 3/22/2023, 5:05 pm, in reply to "Post-Spring Break Grind Time"

For your metronome question:
-Go from clicking every beat to every other, to only beat one, etc
-Use Tonal Energy, it has settings to randomly drop beats, increase the percentage over time
-Use a Harmony Director or another met with a quick volume control, start the band with the met then drop the volume to zero. Bring the volume back up after a bar or two. Using the volume instead of turning the met on and off keeps the time going silently

The suggestions below about listening the motor are good in pieces that have that. My college professor referred to "pulse givers" and "pulse takers" - know which one you are at any given point in the music.

Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by Chris P. Bacon on 3/19/2023, 6:50 am, in reply to "Post-Spring Break Grind Time"

Same here!

I'm 2 weeks after after my spring break. Just keep doing what your doing, don't change anything drastic. Keep playing and buzzing a lot to build chops back up. Write out your goals for the final weeks and have a plan.

As for the met, I would start practicing without it. Have a nice hard baton end to bang on your stand or what I sometimes do is transition with drum sticks. When you do a full run, before playing the run set the met to your desired tempo and turn it off. Maybe step away at times during your run to see if your kids are feeling the pulse and listening to each other.

Best of luck lad!

Chris P. Bacon

Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by Hammer time on 3/17/2023, 10:16 am, in reply to "Post-Spring Break Grind Time"

I take the zero-to-sixty approach. We sight read every day and use the appropriate time limits. Bell to bell.

As for the met, there's really only two paths: dial it out over time or turn it off. I like to turn it off.

Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by Hammer time update on 3/20/2023, 6:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time"

So first rehearsal came and went with good productive energy. We did not sight read after all due to the pieces not being in shape (should have figured).

Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time

Posted by 2 weeks to go on 3/17/2023, 1:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Post-Spring Break Grind Time"

With UIL less that 2 weeks away for me, I will "power band" them into oblivion for the 1st 2 days. Play tons - talk little.
We will then sight read more and polish what we need to polish for the final push.
With the metronome, cut it in half. What I mean is if the tempo is 120 - set it on 60 and make them feel the primary beats. If you're in 3/4 time, make it one beat per measure to get them to feel the down beat and float beats 2 and 3. Then take it away. You will be amazed at how they will begin to internalize the pulse better.

Also - with tempo - give them instructions as to where the "motor" is. Direct their ears to where the pulse is driven. This will help them fix pulse and enhance their balance and blend.

Good Luck

« Back to index

[ The Yellow Board ]