Orchestra Conducting Fundamentals

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Conducting a symphony requires a vast amount of musical knowledge. Learn about the essential knowledge and skills for conducting an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

There are 24 videos in this series:
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  • 1.
    Baton Position for Orchestra Conductor

    Conductor's baton should never go lower than invisible plane right above music stand. Learn more about how orchestra conductor works with the baton in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 197
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  • 2.
    Becoming a More Expressive Orchestra Conductor

    Use clear conducting gestures which your orchestra can understand. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 199
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  • 3.
    Conducting Orchestra in 12/8 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 12/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 195
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  • 4.
    Conducting Orchestra in 2/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 2/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 172
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  • 5.
    Conducting Orchestra in 3/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 3/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 178
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  • 6.
    Conducting Orchestra in 4/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 4/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 219
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  • 7.
    Conducting Orchestra in 5/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 5/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 227
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  • 8.
    Conducting Orchestra in 6/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 6/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 189
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  • 9.
    Conducting Orchestra in 6/8 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 6/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 204
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  • 10.
    Conducting Orchestra in 7/4 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 7/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 181
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  • 11.
    Conducting Orchestra in 9/8 Time

    A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 9/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 184
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  • 12.
    Conducting Orchestra in Adagio Tempo

    Adagio means slow and stately when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 176
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  • 13.
    Conducting Orchestra in Allegro Tempo

    Allegro means fast and bright when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 179
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  • 14.
    Conducting Orchestra in Larglissimo Tempo

    Larglissimo is the slowest tempo when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 177
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  • 15.
    Conducting Orchestra in Largo Tempo

    Largo means very slow when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor..

    Views: 179
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  • 16.
    Conducting Orchestra in Measures

    A measure is a segment of music time, also number of beats. Learn about ways in which conductors paces orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 182
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  • 17.
    Conducting Orchestra in Moderato Tempo

    Moderato means at a moderate tempo when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 199
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  • 18.
    Conducting Orchestra in Presto Tempo

    Tempo means fast when conducting an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors control the pace and emphasis in the playing of orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 181
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  • 19.
    Conducting Orchestras in Different Time Signatures

    Classical music contains many different time signatures, and a conductor should be comfortable with all of them. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 189
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  • 20.
    Hand Movements for Orchestra Conductors

    Orchestra members watch the conductors hands for cues. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 189
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  • 21.
    How Orchestra Conductor Controls Tempo

    A symphony conductor dictates the speed and pace of the music. Learn about ways in which conductors dictates what the orchestra plays in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 180
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  • 22.
    Plane Awareness for Orchestra Conductor

    Pretend there's an invisible pane of glass above conducting stand. Learn more about orchestra conductor etiquette in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 182
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  • 23.
    Reading Bar Lines to Interpret Orchestra Score

    A conductor must be very familiar with the score for an orchestra. Learn about ways in which conductors work with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 185
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  • 24.
    Unusual Time Signature for Orchestra Conductors

    Classical music scores can change time signatures several times in one work. Learn about ways in which conductors determine how a classical score is played by orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

    Views: 175
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Views: 4,470 Videos in Series: 24

Tags: classical, ballet, orchestra, symphony, conducting, conductor, opera

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Summary: Conducting an orchestra can be a daunting task, be it a string ensemble or an entire symphony. The job requires an extensive knowledge of music scoring as well as a natural gift to distinguish proper pitch and tone. And beyond the music basics, a conductor has to be an entertainer, involving their musicians as well as their audience in the piece they are conducting. The conductor is the focus of attention for the entire performance venue, so they must follow the proper etiquette and established rules and at the same time keep the crowd entertained and involved.

In this series of free conducting lessons, our expert conductor will give you an overview of the basic skills you need to become a conductor. Learn how to hold a conductor's baton and signal the orchestra with it. Brandon will demonstrate how to conduct several different tempos and time signatures. You will also learn several tips for interacting with the orchestra.

About the Expert

Expert: Brandon Archer has obtained a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wheaton Conservatory of Music. He has more than five years of teaching experience conducting bands and orchestras. Brandon is also an accomplished double bars player and was first chair with the Wheaton College symphony orchestra.

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