How To Have A GREAT Quartet Rehearsal

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How To Have A GREAT Quartet Rehearsal!

• orGetting ahead by working hard
• (and more importantly) working smart!
• By Michael I. Borts QCA President
• Based upon the teachings of
• Tom Pearson, Innsiders,
• 1976 International Champs

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Soyou did pretty good at your last contest
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But you want to do better!
RIGHT?
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THE BIG QUESTIONHow do you do this?
Tom Pearson
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TWO METHODS!

• Work Hard!
• Work Smart!

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GET ORGANIZED!Schedule Rehearsals in Advance!

• Schedule four to six weeks in advance. Do not go
  from rehearsal to rehearsal deciding each time
  when to get together next.
• One rehearsal per week will maintain the status
  quo. Two or more per week will allow improvement
  and time for learning new songs.
• Rehearse regularly and sacrifice occasionally to
  get together.
• It is the responsibility of the person who cannot
  make a rehearsal to reschedule.
• If someone cant make it, trio anyway!

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Appoint a Rehearsal Leader

• Who? Most organized person in quartet.
• Must be able to evaluate which songs need most
  attention.
• Schedules all activities at rehearsals including
  warm ups and breaks.
• Tracks which songs have been worked on and when.
• Keeps schedule on track and doesnt let
  activities get bogged down.

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Rehearsal Etiquette

• Show up on time! Dont cut out early!
• Don't waste the other guys' precious time.
• Don't drink, smoke or eat until after rehearsal.
• Don't goof off during rehearsals. Sing your best
  each time, with moves.
• Bring music and pencil to every rehearsal. Mark
  down all note changes, word changes, and
  interpretation on all your music. You won't
  remember it at the next rehearsal if you don't
  write it down.

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The Rehearsal Schedule

• Rehearsals need to have clearly defined start and
  end times.
• Arrange your schedule in time blocks of 5 to 30
  mins.
• General categories of work for schedule Warm up
  Familiar songs Contest songs New songs Show
  songs.
• Prioritize all rehearsals according to what songs
  need rehearsing most.
• Allot songs that need more work more time up to
  30 minutes per song depending how much work time
  is necessary.
• If there is a problem with a song, schedule time
  for it at the next rehearsal rather than ruining
  the schedule for this one.

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Sample Rehearsal Schedule

• 730 Warm up
• 745 Sing through 4 familiar songs No stopping
• 800 Work contest song 1
• 810 Work contest song 2
• 830 Work contest song 3

• 845 Break
• 855 Work contest song 4
• 910 Learn new song (Make learning tape)
• 930 Work show song 1
• 945 Work show song 2

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Warm Up 1 Unison 5-Note Scales

• Increases breath control and stamina.
• Trains quartet to hold pitch!
• Covers all 16 vowels Match them all!
• Unison singing focuses you to zero in on what
  everyone else is singing.
• See music on next page
• Dont get FREAKED OUT by 16th notes. This is
  meant to be sung slowly.

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Warm Up 2 Four Step Chord Build

• Sets your resonators in forward mask Feel the
  buzz!
• Matches all 16 vowels
• Unison singing gets you focused
• Start ringing those chords right off the bat
• See music on next page

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Use the following vowels sounds in
progression mean, minn, main, men, man, mine,
marn, mun, murn, moon, mewn, moon (as in
"book"), moan, moyne, mawn, moun (as in "now").
1. mean 9. murn 2. minn 10. moon 3. main 11.
mewn 4. men 12. moon (as in "book") 5. man 13.
moan 6. mine 14. moin 7. marn 15. mawn 8.
mun 16. moun (as in "now")
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Sing Through Familiar Songs

• Some repertoire songs only need to be touched
  upon.
• Put 3-4 of these right after warm up to get
  things rolling.
• This will help you keep your entire repertoire
  fresh.
• Sing these through without stopping.
• If you find areas that need more extensive work,
  schedule time for this at another rehearsal.

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Work Those Songs! Pull them apart then reassemble
them!

• Sing song through first.
• Lead/Bass Duet - Others provide feedback
• Lead/Tenor Duet
• Lead/Bari Duet
• Sing song on unison note or single chord
• Sing melody in unison
• Everyone record performance of song. Listen on
  your own between rehearsals for specific areas to
  improve for next rehearsal.
• Write these areas down so you dont forget them.

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Critical Self Analysis orWhat you need to observe

• Have pen and paper handy to jot down
  opportunities for improvement you observe
• Correct notes and lyrics
• Tuning
• Vowel matching
• Word inflection
• Dynamics
• Overtones
• How well is the Lead telling the story?

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Chart Your SongsTrack Your Progress
Make sure all songs are at least touched upon
every other rehearsal.
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Working Visuals - orDo we really look like THAT?

• Work in front of a full length mirror. If this is
  not available, bring in a hand held mirrors.
• Video your performances. Critique yourselves.
• Work in square looking INTENTLY at one anothers
  faces.
• Silently perform song in square looking INTENTLY
  at one anothers faces
• Guys not duetting can critique visuals as well as
  music when they are sitting out.

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Learning New Music!

• Learn new music on your own using learning tapes.
• Learning tapes do not have to be fancy nor studio
  produced. You can do this yourselves!
• Strive not to be the slowest man in the quartet
  to learn new music.

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Make Your Own Learning Tapes!

• All four singers bring in audio recorders.
• Rehearse song 8 bars at a time.
• When youre comfortable that you have all the
  right notes, record the 8 bars you just worked
  on then hit pause.
• Repeat this process until you have recorded the
  entire song.

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Adding Interpretation Plan

• Lead is responsible for teaching the
  interpretation plan to others in quartet.
• Start by singing the song as a Lead solo.
• Transcribe interp plan onto lyric sheet.
• Record song with interp plan. Use this as a
  learning reference tool.
• Lead, use your hands to direct as necessary to
  get your musical points across for recording and
  teaching.

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Use Lyric Sheets to Help YouImplement Interp
Coaching

• Type song lyrics into document for all songs.
  Double space all lines.
• Write coaching suggestions or interpretation such
  as dynamic plan, breaths, visuals, accelerando,
  ritardando, rhythmic variation directly above
  lyrics where these events occur in RED.
• Distribute to all members of quartet so everyone
  has the plan for reference.
• Sing the song reading directly from the lyric
  sheet until interp/coaching plan is cemented.

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Sample Lyric Sheet

• 5 (SMILE BIG!) 7
  
• Sweet Sweet Roses of Morn
• (Move phrase) 3
  (Make it dreamy!)
• Youre the ideal of my dreams
• 5 6 7
  (Cover Lead on pickup)
• My hearts all in a whirl
• 8 (Show love in face) (Match er vowel) (Carry
  phrase to end)
• I could love forever it seems

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Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses!

• What are you particularly good at?
• More importantly, what do you need help with
  most?
• Find vehicles that feature your strengths and
  downplay your weaknesses.
• Work those weaknesses until they are at least
  comfortable and less apparent.

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DONT LIVE IN DENIAL!(Its not just a river in
Egypt!)

• If you cant get something to work in rehearsal,
  its more than likely it wont work on the
  contest stage either.
• If something doesnt work, CHANGE IT!
• Chords, rhythms, key changes, voicings, tags,
  notes too high, notes too low
• There are NO PLUS POINTS for difficulty of music!
• Dont keep hitting your head on a brick wall when
  you can easily go around it!

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Get Coaching!

• Either video or audio record all coaching
  sessions!
• SOMEONE MUST transcribe coaching suggestions onto
  lyric sheets as soon after session as possible or
  all ideas will be lost and all your valuable time
  will be WASTED! (Including your coachs time!)
• Youll NEVER remember it all without recording
  and transcribing! Guaranteed!
• A dull pencil beats a sharp memory!
• Rehearse with the lyric sheets as reference until
  coaching changes become permanent.

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Contest PreparationThe Dress Rehearsal!

• Work with a local school to borrow their stage
  for an evening.
• Invite family and friends to be your audience.
• Simulate the contest conditions as closely as you
  can including MC introduction, stage entrances,
  bows and exits.
• Sing your contest sets just as you plan to.
• Gather audience feedback. Use the little ideas
  you think make sense that you can easily
  implement without totally messing up the set.

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Other Helpful Tips!

• Strive to have common goals. Discuss goals often.
  
• Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the
  quartet New song ideas, new stage presence, new
  comedy routines, new outfits, ways to get sing
  outs, ways to interpret a present song better,
  coaching.
• Practice deference wherever possible. If a member
  is interested in pursuing one aspect of the
  quartet experience, dont fight him let him go
  for it!
• Examples accounting, marketing, new music,
  choreography, clothing, image, arranging, etc.

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More Helpful Tips!

• All four men agree on every song in the
  repertoire. Anyone can veto a song he doesn't
  like.
• Decide that you are in for the long haul. Don't
  break up just because you lose a contest.
• Work hard to get better. The fun comes when
  you're doing a good job and people are enjoying
  your singing.
• "NO FUN," you say? Ask anyone who has won the
  District trophy or a gold medal if that was fun.

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QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS???
                                         2005!
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Parting wisdom Smart and hard work will beat
raw talent every time!-Tom Pearson, Innsiders,
1976 International Champs

• NOW GO WORK HARD, WORK SMART AND IMPROVE!!!
• Thank you for your time!