Initiating the Student Conductor into the basics of the conducting technique (Auftakt-The Upbeat. Types of Upbeat and practical solutions)

Abstract

Choral conducting, a basic component in the formation of music teachers and choir conductors is a discipline that combines the students’ theoretical music and all-round education with their artistic practice. The choral conducting courses aim at shaping the artistic personality of the students, by developing their own abilities for the knowledge, understanding and interpretation of music, thus setting the bases for the complex experience required by the future artistic and teaching activities. The performance of music can be ensured through a very thorough conducting technique. The key moment of a choral work is its very beginning, as it starts with a simple, yet complex gesture – the upbeat (also known as the German “auftakt”) – a gesture that requires precision and promptness. In this survey, we intend to show what an upbeat is, the type of upbeat, but also how to execute it. We also recommend a set of practical exercises, in order to carry it out properly.