The Melded Gesture and the Dead Beat
The Anacrusis and the Fractional Pickup
Cues
The Fermata

The Melded Gesture

In introducing the downbeat gesture I pointed out that each beat in any metric pattern should have at least some rebound to it. The melded gesture and the dead beat, however, are important exceptions.

Elizabeth Green first introduced the term “melded beat” into the literature, and it has become an important part of the conducting vocabulary ever since. She defines it as “the combining of two or more time-beating gestures into one long sustained gesture that has a duration equal to the combined beats" [The Modern Conductor, page 138].

Whereas the melded gesture can be quite large, the dead beat is a very small, passive gesture.  It is employed when the music demands total silence from the entire ensemble.  Properly used -- particularly in front of a secondary school band -- it can be very effective in ensuring that the music is played well.  Should the conductor execute a regular “live” beat in such circumstances, many inexperienced performers may be tempted to play during the rests.  The most common circumstance requiring dead beat conducting occurs is at the end of classical-style pieces, where massive quarter note chords from the entire ensemble are indispersed with rests just before the final cadence.  

The Anacrusis and the fractional pickup

Earlier, we discussed the importance of the preparatory beat in ensuring clean attacks on the downbeat i.e. on the first beat of the bar.  But what happens if the music begins on the second, third or last beat of the bar?  The answer is that the beat before the music begins is treated as the preparatory beat.  This means that if the ensemble is to begin playing on beat two, then beat one is the preparatory beat.  Similarly, if the music begins on beat three, then beat two becomes the preparatory beat.  And so on.

Take a look at the following example:

The following diagram illustrates how the entrance should be conducted.  Notice in particular (1) the relatively short preparatory beat (dotted line), and (2) the downward movement towards beat two.

The brief preparatory beat is intended to help prevent “double preps”, while the downward movement towards the second beat is consistent with the principle advocated by Kohut and Grant [Learning to Conduct and Rehearse, Prentice-Hall, Englewood cliffs, N.J., 1990] that the first beat of any piece, no matter where it falls, should have the general character of a downbeat. To ensure clean attacks it is also helpful if the preparatory beat is given a gentler ictus than the one that actually signals the beginning of the music.  Entrances on beats three and four involve similar principles.

The following diagram presents a common solution.

Remember to make the preparatory beat – in this case beat three – fairly short.

Fractional pickups look rather more complicated, but are not necessarily so.  In all such cases, the music is conducted as if the attack fell on the preceding beat.  The following example would be conducted as if the attack fell on the third beat of the bar.  Thus, the preparatory beat would be on beat two:

Here is the appropriate gesture:

Cues

Apart from maintaining a steady pulse and clear icti, one of the most difficult skills for a conductor to master is the ability to move each hand independently.  Nowhere is this more apparent than when giving cues.   This is because the left hand gives most cues while the right hand continues with the established pattern.

Because it is so difficult to do well, cueing requires considerable practice in front of a mirror before the left hand is able to cue smoothly without being influenced by the rhythmic motion of the right.  Practice left hand cueing on beat one, beat two, beat three and so on, while maintaining a steady pattern with the right hand.

Cues can also be executed using both hands.  This is especially so when the conductor wishes to indicate an important entrance involving the entire ensemble.

In all cases, the conductor should make eye contact with the performers before giving a preparatory gesture preceding the entrance. The conductor’s facial expression must also be supportive.  This is particularly important in cases where the cue amounts to little more than a nod of the head.

Cues are normally given under the following circumstances:

• For solo or sectional entrances.
• Entrances that follow long rests.
• To mark the beginning of any significant musical event.
• Where there is a cymbal crash.

[For a more complete list, see Elizabeth Green, The Modern Conductor, page 92]

Not all such events require cues, of course. It is up to the conductor to decide which entrances require cues and which do not. In any event, cues must be consistent. This is the best way to ensure dependable entrances.

The Fermata

"Every fermata" notes Elizabeth Green, “is a law unto itself." Indeed, the subject is so complex that many textbooks on conducting devote whole chapters to a consideration of the correct way in which they should be handled.  Space prohibits such treatment here, of course.  What follows instead is an outline of a few basic principles.

There are basically three ways to end a fermata.  They are

The first type is often marked with a cesura (//) in the score.  It requires a preparatory beat before the next attack.  The second type does not require such a preparatory beat. Instead, the cut-off acts as the preparatory beat.  Such fermatas are sometimes indicated in the score with an apostrophe mark (‘).  The final type of fermata is perhaps the most difficult to execute smoothly.  In this case, the preparation for the next attack is actually a continuation of the “traveling” movement of the baton.

and you should really read more detailed texts for further guidance. [Apart from the conducting textbooks already mentioned, the following reference may also prove helpful: Max Rudolph, The Grammar of Conducting, Schrimer Books, Second Edition, 1980, pages 180-195]

Two other problems associated with fermatas are also worthy of mention.  The first involves the correct way to handle a fermata that appears over a rest, as in the following illustration:

In this case the baton stops on two and does not move during the fermata rest.   Then the conductor makes the usual preparatory gesture to indicate the first beat of the next bar.  In such cases, the length of the silence is influenced by what preceded the fermata.  In general, massive forte chords or very soft passages imply that a longer period of silence is required.

Yet another problem that confuses inexperienced conductors is what to do when a fermata is placed over a moving line. Some conductors resort to holding the first fermata in the left hand while continuing the beat time with the right until they arrive at the second fermata.  This is far from satisfactory, however.  It looks awkward and tends to confuse those members of the ensemble that still have notes to play.  A far better solution is to continue beating time until the last beat of the moving voice.  This is, after all, where the real fermata begins.