Yes, I don't mean giving a grand gesture to cue the cue.. just a nod that we're 'there'. I would be unable to do this if player's cues were not also in front of me.
I suppose I've just developed a feel in scoring for the places where regrouping or reassurance may be needed. This is not the same as say cueing entrances with a youth orchestra. ...why oh why does my phone insist on replacing 'cueing' with 'curing'.. 'Curing the trombones' . . ! ;-) Steve P. On 22 Apr 2012, at 17:43, John Howell <[email protected]> wrote: > Well, if it works with you I can't argue with > success! But we might be talking past each > other. A "cue" (in conductor-speak) is a > downbeat or upbeat designed to bring a person or > a section in for a correct entrance, always > prepared (but never over-prepared). That's also > what orchestral musicians consider them to be. I > try to give them when they're necessary or for > safety; some conductors don't. But I will > certainly prepare a person or a section for an > entrance by either a hand gesture or, more often, > simply clear eye contact. That's a trick I > picked up watching Robert Shaw, who could be > giving several warnings and cues simultaneously > using his eyes, facial expression, or either hand > very clearly and unambiguously. > > But the little notes in the parts that orient the > player to what is going on in another part, while > we CALL them "cues," are more properly thought of > as "warnings." Like so much else in the English > language, the same word has different meanings. > I would never give an entrance "cue" to someone > to indicate that it was their notated "warning > cue." And that's certainly not taught in any > conducting class I've ever taken. > > And of course this leaves out the third > understood meaning of the word "cue": a > "cross-cue" to be played if the designated > instrument is not available. > > The old guys didn't worry about any of these > things. They expected their musicians to be able > to read and count! They didn't use bar numbering > or rehearsal numbers/letters either. > > John > > > > > At 8:54 AM +0100 4/22/12, Steve Parker wrote: >> It really can be a useful thing! I've never had >> a problem with signing to someone that the cue >> I'm giving is their cue rather than their >> entrance. >> >> Steve P. >> >> On 22 Apr 2012, at 00:07, John Howell <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> At 10:02 AM +0100 4/21/12, Steve Parker wrote: >>>> If i'm preparing music for a recording where the >>>> players are sight reading it is often useful to >>>> write in helpful cues then >>>> as conductor to cue the cues rather than the actual entrance. >>> >>> >>> Hmmm. As a player this would confuse the pants >>> off me. (It would not be a pretty sight!) A >>> conductor's cues are for entrances, period. And >>> a really well-delivered cue can easily bring >>> someone in at the wrong place, since the more >>> confident you look the more they will question >>> whether their counting was off! >>> >>> John >>> >>> >>> -- >>> John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music >>> Virginia Tech Department of Music >>> School of Performing Arts & Cinema >>> College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences >>> 290 College Ave., Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0240 >>> Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 >>> (mailto:[email protected]) >>> http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html >>> >>> "Machen Sie es, wie Sie wollen, machen Sie es nur schön." >>> (Do it as you like, just make it beautiful!) --Johannes Brahms >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Finale mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Finale mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > > > -- > John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music > Virginia Tech Department of Music > School of Performing Arts & Cinema > College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences > 290 College Ave., Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0240 > Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 > (mailto:[email protected]) > http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html > > "Machen Sie es, wie Sie wollen, machen Sie es nur schön." > (Do it as you like, just make it beautiful!) --Johannes Brahms > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
