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CHORTEACH
Rhythmic Integrity in the Choral Rehearsal: A Bag of Tricks and More

REPLAY

from the down beat in any beat group. Singers are forced to Count 8. Give a down beat to the ensemble and stop
think about the forward motion of the music. conducting. Tell singers to keep the beat in their heads and
when they reach the number eight, shout it out. See how
Metronome. If singers are having difficulty internalizing much variation there is in the placement of the end of
a steady beat, impose an external beat. An amplified the phrase. As the group gets better at internalizing eight
metronome can make them aware of when the tempo counts, try sixteen counts.
starts to pull ahead or fall behind.

“Slushy” Articulation
Get physical. An ensemble often rushes a tempo because
singers have not internalized the steady beat. Marching • Isolate
in place can be a way to use large body movement to
internalize beats. A variation is to stand in a circle and • Speak-sing
face the center. Instead of marching in place (left-right • Alternate text and numbers
left-right), step sideways (left foot to the left, then right foot • Softer
moves to touch left foot, repeat same motion) so that the
circle rotates in a clockwise motion to the beat. • Begin somewhere else in the score
• Get visual
Telegraph. Have singers place their right hand on the shoulder • Where’s the consonant?
of the person beside them. Gently use the forefinger of the
right hand to tap the beat on the shoulder of that person. • Diphthongs
This can also be done in a circle with consistent effect so
that singers get both kinesthetic and visual reinforcement as Isolate. Eliminate some of the confounding variables present
they sing. When the ensemble has had success telegraphing when singing. Singers have a plate full of components with
the beat to other members, then internalize the beat by which to deal—pitch, rhythm, text, tone color, etc. By
tapping their fingers on their own chests. isolating a single element, the singers are more likely to
achieve success. Gradually add the other elements into the
Recording. Record your rehearsal. Often, singers are not mix.
aware they are having tempo problems until they hear a
recording. Don’t wait for the concert! Record rehearsals Speak-sing. Speak the rhythm on a neutral syllable with a
and let the singers listen.Then, they are more likely to work percussive attack. “Tah” and “dah” work better than “la”
on techniques that lead to good rhythmic singing. because of a faster tongue. Also, sing the rhythm patterns
on one pitch. For variety, have the ensemble sing on a chord
Slow down. When a group rushes the tempo, the singers that defines the tonality of the music, e.g., the I chord.
may need to focus more on the subdivision of beats. Then sing the written notes on a neutral syllable. Try the
Changing the tempo, slowing it down, and forcing singers same sequence using the text. Speak the text in rhythm,
to internalize sixteenth notes instead of eighth notes will sing the text on a single note, and finally try the text with
allow them to concentrate on placement of the downbeats. the written pitches.

Fewer Beats. When tempos are dragging, try conducting the Alternate text and numbers. To reinforce rhythm, have one
music in two instead of four beats to a bar. With triple meter, section of the ensemble sing on the text and the other sections
try conducting in one. The visual change for the singers will countsing (see above). There are many combinations, most
lead to a different feeling about the phrase and help pull of which can promote clear, accurate articulation.
the tempo forward. This is preferable to your conducting
the same pattern even larger. A bigger-looking four pattern Editor’s Note: This article continues with more on articulation and a
takes longer to execute than a simple two pattern and can section on solutions for common counting problems. Read the full article
actually contribute to the tempo problem. in the Spring 2009 issue of ChorTeach at acda.org/chorteach.

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 4 22 Summer 2023