Rehearsal Techniques - Planning (Part 1)

· Choose your order of rehearsal carefully. I learned early in the ministry that you can wear out your players, mentally and physically, by arranging the order of the rehearsal incorrectly. You want to start with an easier (or already rehearsed) piece, build in difficulty to the middle of rehearsal and finish with an easier (or already rehearsed) piece. Of course, there will be times where this is unavoidable.
This is a typical rehearsal order for my situation:

#1 - Choir special two weeks out (has been rehearsed at least two times)
#2 - Choir special one week out
#3 - Call to worship this Sunday (either orchestra special or choir accompaniment)
#4 - Choir special this Sunday
#5 - New piece, either for sight-reading or upcoming event (could be orchestra special)
#6 - Choir special four weeks out or piece for upcoming event (could be sight-reading)
#7 - Choir special three weeks out or piece for upcoming event
#8 - If times permits, easy piece for upcoming event or special ensemble piece (not with full group, let the rest go)

· Make sure you have conductor's scores to every piece you will rehearse. A choral director would never rehearse a choir without the vocal score. Almost every piece published today has a master or condensed score. If you have older or "out of print" music in your library, one great source of finding orchestrations and scores is Ron Cobb Music Services (1-800-955-1730 or 615-790-1730). You can also call the publisher to find out who owns the copyright. If none is available, take a vocal score and add entrance cues and rhythms where the instruments play. They need you to cue them and assist with rhythms and pitches (along with intonation). You must have the right tools to maximize your rehearsal!

Rehearsal Techniques - Planning (Part 2)

· Create some form of written communication to hand out (or have in their folder). It could be as simple as Sunday's music… or as complex as music schedules with announcements and color graphics, birthdays of the week (or month), etc. One important note: Do not use your choir's rehearsal schedule for your orchestra. It can contain much of the same content, but make it "instrumentally friendly". Sometimes, just changing the title from "Choir Notes" to "Orchestra Notes" will be enough.
· Develop a method for recording excused absences (for future rehearsals and services). Don't ask them why… all you need is their accountability… they will probably tell you anyway!
· Know your group and their family members by name. This is so important, especially when calling them at home. If you are a man calling a female instrumentalist and her husband answers, you should (you better) know his name… maybe even something about him. Knowing their names will build a healthy bridge with your player's family members.

Rehearsal Techniques - Playing

· Start on time. This is crucial! Even if it's one player, do what you can with what you have.
· Wait until later in your rehearsal to do a "master tuning". Train them to do a "quick" tune on their own before rehearsal begins. Several of my players have their own tuners and pass them around before we begin. Spent the extra time it takes to tune your players individually when you "master tune". This may be the only "one on one" connect they have with you each week. Using a tuner eliminates guesswork on everybody's part.
· Individual tuning also allows time for your folks to quietly fellowship when not being tuned. It's also a "chop break" for your brass players.
· Compliment often. The adage "You can draw more flies with honey than with vinegar" is so true! Your expectation level can be high…you can correct your players… and if done in love, they will respond wonderfully.
· Fix individual problems by working with the entire section. Example: If one of your clarinets is not playing a passage properly, don't ask that person to play it in front of the group by themself (it's already obvious they can't). Ask all the clarinets (or entire woodwind section) to play it together a few times so that person can "catch up". If more needs to be done, do any correcting with individuals after rehearsal or at another time.
· Remind them that they can take their music home and practice.