Chorus Notes #8 - Kirk Young Coaching - Feb. 22-23, 2008

Special Thanks to Dean Rust for these great notes from the retreat weekend!

Clap a Yore Hands

A. General

- You are forbidden to listen to the learning track.

- Swing is relaxed, gentle, meant to be late, pull don't push (you pull on the reins of a horse to control it, push and you'll fall off)

- Critical that you think of subdividing the beat into triplets; feel it before you start singing and retain it throughout the song. Focus as the director prepares to begin song.

- Don't lose the sense of subdivision when singing quarter and half notes, which form the rhythm sections.

- Recall snapping and fist exercises as a way to unify the backbeat, which fits together with swing.

- Give full metrical value to all the notes.

- Precise execution of the breathing plan will help you sing full note values and avoid synchronization errors. Need to sing into the preplanned breath spots, don't let the note decay.

- Minimize downbeats.

- Need quiet jaw given fast tempo; let your lips, teeth and tongue do the work on the lyrics.

- You can't swing flat-footed.

- You must be thinking "subdivision" when doing choreography.

- We comprehend, now we must be consistent. There must be no green rocks among the string of pearls.

B. Specific

- Intro: Recall subdivision work that swung the "Whoa" and ensure duration up to beat 4.

- Lead: work on the three note pickups in ms 8 and 16.

- Tenor/Bari/Bass: full value on "children" in ms 8 and 16.

- "Let me lead the way", "Jubilee today", etc. (other quarter note passages): full metrical value with underlying triplet subdivision.

- Four eighth notes in a row proved to be a problem in application. "everybody" in ms 32, 56, 83; "come a long and" in ms 40; "you are only a" in ms 46, 72.

- "Send him to the devil" (1st time, ms 52): straight, don't swing; but don't make it sound like a mistake; accent each word but don't splat.

- Last "Clap a yore hands.." (right before new tag, ms 80-86): need commitment, swing it, full duration, take out downbeats.

- New Tag: Baris stick it to the top note on "C'mon"; Bass lay off on "C'mon" as you are doubling with Bari, but then let's hear it as you peel off; Tenor/Bari/Bass: recall different rhythm on third "gather (a)round."