Session 5: Rehearsal Structure: Warm-up, Body, Closure

The basic structure to an instrumental lesson or rehearsal includes three sections - a warm-up, rehearsal, and rehearsal closure.  Because of the unique nature of playing an instrument, it is important to consider each phase of the rehearsal carefully as you plan and deliver instruction.

Warm-Ups (10 - 15 minutes of a 50 minute class)

What is the purpose of the warm up in an instrumental setting?

The warm up can serve multiple functions.   Your overall purpose and objectives for the students' development should guide your choices.  Consider that the warm up phase of a lesson or rehearsal can:

Redirect and focus the student on the task at hand - learning about and making music.

Provide the mechanism to work on foundational issues such as scales, arpeggios, tone, intonation, etc.

Serve as an introduction to the concepts being addressed in the rehearsal or lesson.

Be used to accomplish all of the above.

Why is the warm up phase important?

• The warm up phase is essential because students need to be guided to develop effective habits and skills. 
• The warm up provides you with a tool to focus students who are constantly changing gears from one subject area to another throughout the day.
• The number of students who study privately is not very high in most school programs; therefore, most school rehearsals also must address issues normally addressed in the private lesson.

What are elements commonly found in an instrumental warm up?

Each instrument family has its own unique needs; however, there are some common threads that can be applied across families for use in an ensemble setting.  In an a lesson setting wherein the students are taught individually or in homogeneous groups, the warm up can be modified to suite the specific needs of the instrument.   A typical warm up is likely to begin gently and develop into a more strenuous workout as the process develops.

The early phase of the warm up should include:

• Breathing exercises
• Long tones
• Lip slurs (brass)
• General tonguing exercises
• More specific articulation exercises including legato, staccato, etc.
• Bowing exercises for strings (see such resources as the Applebaum orchestra bowing books).

The next phase of a warm up should include foundational work including:

• Scales
• Arpeggios
• Melodic Patterns
• Chromatics
• Intervals
• Rudiments (percussion)
• Chorales (to address ensemble concepts and intonation)
• Ear training and other listening development exercises (don't wait to start teaching students how to listen).

The Body of the Rehearsal or Lesson (25 - 30 minutes of a 50 minute class)

What is the purpose of the body of the rehearsal/lesson?

It is in this phase of the rehearsal or lesson that the essential concepts, skills, and/or information are addressed.   Using the repertoire as a vehicle, the concepts, skills, and information is explored, discovered, or practiced, as the music is prepared.  

When it comes to teaching consider the following during the body of the rehearsal:

• Be explicit with the purpose of the rehearsal.  Give students a clear picture of what is to be accomplished both in terms of their individual learning and musical preparation.
• Stay on task.  Keep the lesson/rehearsal focused on your target objectives. Use active teaching methods such as facilitation, discovery, exploration, problem-solving, critical analysis, etc.
• Vary the methods of communication and presentation to meet the needs of diverse learners (metaphor, imagery, board, overhead, movement, etc.)
• Maintain an active pace.
• Engage all students (look beyond first chairs and front rows; think about the percussion and how you engage them; think about how you are engaging special needs students)
• Sequence material to enable learning (lay foundations and spiral to enable students to take concepts to the next level).
• Appropriately assess along the way, as well as at the end (informally and formally).

When it comes to rehearsing, keep the following in mind:

• Students are more focused in the first 20 minutes of a rehearsal and again in the last 20 minutes.  Therefore, in a 50-minute class use the middle 10 minutes for business and announcements to maximize student concentration.
• An hourglass approach can be very productive.  Begin by working on the big picture, then focus on the details, and finally, return to the big picture before moving on.
• Break things down to size (enable).  
• Balance between detail and the bigger picture, both are needed.
• Prioritize, but recognize that you cannot accomplish everything in one day.
• Simplify as much as possible in a developmentally appropriate way.
• Balance between playing and talking.
• Allow time for students to rest muscles (especially younger students or beginners).

Closure of the Rehearsal or Lesson (10 minutes of a 50-minute class)
Closure is the most neglected part of the rehearsal.  Often the rehearsal or lesson runs late and there is a scramble to pack up in time for the bell.  Do yourself, your students, and your program a great service by allowing a few minutes to give your day's work relevance.  Take time to reflect, plan, assess, and prepare.  Consider the following for the last minutes of a rehearsal or lesson:

• Reinforce, review, or reflect on what was learned.
• Assess the day's progress (formally or informally).
• Set students up for the next session (give them ways to carry the learning beyond the current lesson/rehearsal).
• Encourage and model reflection as a tool for improvement (be a reflective teacher and nurture reflective learners).

Session 6 Class Notes

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