“Didn’t I warn you all?”
“Warn us what?”
“Warn you that my favorite type of rehearsal is one where you spend an hour on four bars?”
“Oh yeah….”
I love the rehearsal that ultra-focuses because there’s so many layers you can put onto those few measures. In the vamp we worked on this week, a slow-tempo two-bar phrase allowed us to talk dynamics, phrasing, syllables, blend, tuning, lyricism, different approaches to attacking notes, balance, and more.
With a little intention, that ultra-focused work on a single phrase becomes a touchpoint that you can reference in other musical moments. Even better, a smart ensemble can extrapolate on their own and apply those musical lessons to other moments.