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~4-7 |
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5 min |
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A conductor sets gestures to control musical aspects such as dynamics and tempo of a small playing ensemble. Styles can be pre-set, or improvised. Lots of chaotic fun!
Set up
Playing this game requires one conductor and an ensemble of at least 3 players (one percussionist is advised). Try to pick a genre that the ensemble is capable of playing. The members should at least be able to perform organized rhythmic music. Before the game, players should agree on two grooves to be played. They can be within a certain genre, or completely improvised. These grooves should be comfortably repeatable.
You will need to agree on six different gestures which will be displayed to whole ensemble at once. Everyone should be able to recognize the gestures easily. You can use gestures that your ensemble is already familiar with. The conductor should demonstrate them before the game.
| Action | Example Gesture | Info |
| Play | Tap on your head | Start playing or switch to next groove |
| Stop | Hold open hand up | Don't play until sign is shown |
| Volume up | Horizontal hand up | Increase loudness |
| Volume down | Horizontal hand down | Decrease loudness |
| Speed up | Make circle with your hand fast | Slowly increase tempo (bpm) |
| Slow down | Make circle with your hand slow | Slowly decrease tempo (bpm) |
If possible, display pictures of the gestures with labels as a reminder for the players. For example, the gestures in this image show directions in Polish (tempo directions are different than in an example table above).
Gameplay instructions
When the conductor gestures, the band starts playing the first groove. This groove is manipulated and altered by the conductor's continuing gestures. In the first phase, the conductor's goal is to train the players to accurately recognize and respond to the gestures. In the second phase, the conductor has free choice of gestures, but the level of difficulty should increase from simple to more challenging, possibly maneuvering through fun chaos!
Game end
Usually the game ends when everything falls apart. If the players successful in responding to the conductor's gestures, it's a good idea to end the game after a pre-set time.
competitive cooptional cooperative
few-players
many-players
teams
solo
acapella algorithm ambient keyboard loop sound-collage sound-design spatial minimal
dance drawing guessing interpretation listening matching memory voting
composers events insert instrument-preparation narrative quick random role-play simple speeding-up timed tonal words
