Etude RESOURCES

The best way for a student to get out of difficulty is to go through it. Aristotle

Tyler Austin: Three conducting etudes

Blog Post | 2016

Austin’s contribution to Smartmusic’s music educator blog offers three practical suggestions to help conductors grow while rehearsing: ensemble critique, left hand isolation, and silent rehearsal.

Emmanuel siffert: exercises of independence

Online Curriculum | 2019

Swiss conductor Emmanuel Siffert offers an extensive curriculum for purchase in which certain modules are available for free, including a unit on hand independence. This site includes a variety of etudes that Siffert explains and demonstrates in short, clear video clips, aided by simple diagrams. Exercises range from tracing simple geometric shapes to cueing five evenly spaced entrances in 4/4 time. The complete curriculum is available here.

Leonard Slatkin: A few exercises

Video | 2017

A seven-minute video by one of America’s leading conductors that explains and demonstrates conducting etudes for preparatory gestures, dynamic changes using the right hand, accents on various beats, and hand independence. This is the sixth installment in his series of practical and often-amusing instructional conducting videos.

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