Divided Meters
Joseph A. Labuta, Wendy K. Matthews · 2022
The preparatory beat in divided meter should be the value of the smallest unit you are beating. In this excerpt, it is an eighth note. Here, the prep is the count of eight in adagio tempo, forte , and separated. Conduct a four-pattern, pulsating twice on each count to articulate the eight beats. Think: 1–1, 2–2, 3–3, 4–4; stroke-wrist, stroke-wrist, and so on. (Refer to Part I , Figure 5.1 and Video 5–1 .) Employ the left hand to signal the subito style changes from forte-marcato to piano-staccato . Vary the size and style of your conducting pattern to match the musical style. Consider placing the baton forward toward the ensemble for forte and close to your body for piano . (See Part 1 , Chapter 10 , “ Subito Contrasts” and Figure 10.1 .)