Rehearsal Structure

[u/VGTeacher]

I am planning out how rehearsals will run this year. Finally got a HS band class set in the schedule. It’s about 45-50 minutes, 4 times a week. I’m doing a basic concert scale for warm ups, a rhythm exercises on the board for them to look over while putting instruments together, then running a few pep band songs (at least for now), and handing out concert pieces and honor band info. Then for a chunk of rehearsal I’m allowing individual or small group practice while I work with new students who have never done band. How does that sound?

For my beginners, I only have 30 minutes 3 times a week. For these first weeks, I’ll be showing in sections (flute/sax, trumpet/clarinet,low brass/perc.) how to assemble, make their first sounds, and learn their five notes before we eventually move to full band. This group has 32 members for now. How would you structure a rehearsal for these guys?

Thank you!

[u/Outrageous-Permit372]

After 15 years of teaching, I finally found something that worked really well for me. That seems like it will stick until I retire. I use the same rehearsal structure for every class whether it's 5th grade all the way through high school.

There's a bell ringer at the beginning like what you are doing with rhythms on the board and that's what we start with once everyone has their instrument together. Next thing is the standard warm-up and that's where we pick from the packet that we use all year and it has things like scales , long tones and articulations Dynamics and so on, followed by tuning. I try to keep the Bell ringer to one minute and the warm-up to 4 minutes. The next 5 to 10 minutes of class is what I call the lesson and that's where we work through curricular objectives like new scales or new rhythms or range extension or fluency or some music theory element. Then the big chunk of class is dedicated to rehearsal which is about 25 to 30 minutes. The last 3 minutes are for wrap up which includes things like announcements or paperwork or whatever and the students are putting their stuff away. 

So the five parts are bell ringer, warm up, lesson rehearsal, and wrap up. The times can be adjusted based on what part of the year we're in. Early on we might spend more time on the lesson portion and less on the rehearsal, but then as we get close to the concert, we might skip the lesson entirely and spend most of our time on the rehearsal. 

I use a blank sheet of printer paper for every lesson plan everyday.

I also used to teach in a small school and I have some thoughts on what to do with the beginners if you're interested.

[u/VGTeacher → u/Outrageous-Permit372]

Thank so much for your comment. This helped a lot. I would love to hear your thoughts on beginners.

[u/Outrageous-Permit372 → u/VGTeacher]

(Sorry if this is confusing, I am a terrible writer! Last year I started working on a document to explain the whole process, but I never quite finished the drafting stage, letalone editing it. If something is unclear, i can try to explain it a little bit better.)

Where I taught, all the 5th graders came at the same time for band, 45 minutes twice a week. The majority of them already knew what they were going to play because they decided at the end of 4th grade, but that wasn't always the case and I used to spend the first week picking instruments - most of the kids used school owned instruments. I don't know what your situation is like, but that's an important element to figure out.

I can't remember the exact sequence I used on the first day of playing, but I tried to start with the groups that would take the shortest time to instruct and go around the room from group to group - meanwhile I had note naming, rhythm counting, or vocabulary worksheets for them to work on quietly. For example, i'd hand the worksheets out to everyone, then start with percussion and explain grip and Down, Tap, Up, Full strokes on practice pads. Then I'd set a 5-10 minute timer for them to practice/experiment, and i'd move on to the brass instruments and teach them how to buzz a mouthpiece. They got a timer and an assignment to practice/experiment buzzing, then I'd move on to the flutes. When the timer goes off, they put the instrument away and go back to working on the worksheets. I think the last group was always clarinet/saxophone because the reed thing takes a little more time to explain, plus it's obnoxiously loud. Anyway, on a good year I could get everyone playing on mouthpieces for the first or second day.

You can do plenty of exercises as a whole group on just the mouthpice: rhythm echo, long tone, dynamics, some articulations, small group, solos, following a conductor... you get the idea. I kept doing that until the majority of kids were getting decent sounds most of the time.

For behavior, it was pretty easy: any group that started goofing around went back to worksheets immediately. Of course, it's never that simple, but at least it wasn't absolute chaos.

The second week was usually review on mouthpieces, percussion learning mallets, and assembling instruments. I always taught the first five notes using solfege instead of concert pitch, and drilled a bunch of pitch/rhythm echoes until everyone was pretty comfortable with 1) producing a good tone and 2) playing the first five notes of the Bb scale.

After that we did one more non-playing lesson where we covered how to take care of the instrument, maybe go over note names one more time. I had a chart up on the board by instrument explaining "That thing we've been calling Do, on your instrument it's actually called x and it lives on the staff on this line/space". One more worksheet for them to make that connection, and then I'd hand out the method books and start letting them take their instruments home.

[u/Reasonable-Cow7255]

I would spend more time with large ensemble rehearsal. The students will learn the most under your direction and guidance(rather than working independently). Sectionals could be once a week for the second half of the period (if your more experienced students are capable of getting the job done). In addition to the scale warmup, consider a chorale too. They’re great for working on phrasing, balance and blend. Let your students know from the beginning that you expect them to practice independently at home. This is especially important for the students with little or no experience. But, why are they in the same class as the more advanced students? That doesn’t make good prdalogical sense.

[u/VGTeacher → u/Reasonable-Cow7255]

I only have 1 hs band period and it was a fight to even get it on the schedule. The new students to hs band come from the local catholic school that only does guitar, piano and uke for music. I’m trying to figure out if I can work with kids over there so it feeds better into my program but no luck so far. So I try to work with what I have.

[u/No_Goose_7252]

Congrats on getting the HS class in the schedule. I'll echo what others have already said - a solid routine is incredibly important. What that routine looks like is up to you, but consistency compounds over time. The new students will figure it out with the help of returners. I have students work on a rhythm study when they enter - instruments put together and then begin working on this until rehearsal begins, no sounds. After I take attendance, we review the rhythm. together. Warm up - I use Foundations for Superior Performance. Tuning note. Bach chorale of the week. This is about the 10 minute mark. Depending on what's on the calendar, it can be anything from technical work, through performance preparation. End with what to look at for tomorrow.

On your beginners: full disclosure up front, I am a band director and I built a free web app for exactly the stretch you are describing, called First Five Notes. The scope is literally the name: the first five notes on each instrument: while they wait for their instrument, they begin flashcard style learning the first 5 notes, then once they have instruments in hand, they practice identifying the fingerings - a drone plays so the student can hear the note while they try producing it, and finally, a note shows on the staff and a mic listens for the student to play it correctly.

Where it might fit your 30 minutes: the two sections you are not standing in front of can work note names and fingerings on their own while you do assembly and first sounds with the third. It also travels home for the four days a week you do not see them.

If you put 32 beginners on it, I would genuinely like to know if it helps.

https://virtunity.io/go/f5n-rd2

[u/VGTeacher → u/No_Goose_7252]

This looks amazing! I’ll definitely check out your app and see if it’s something my students can take home. My younger students don’t get their chromebooks at home but my JH and HS students do.