Old-time musicians

The movement principle behind it?

The origin of various conducting techniques?

The design process of restoring each action?

Seeing Kaplun and Sheeran's surprised expressions, Fanning raised his pencil and added: "Well, don't be surprised, this is normal. Those conductors with strong inspiration and self-taught may not be able to explain it to you clearly."

This cannot be blamed on these professors for hiding their shortcomings.

It cannot even be blamed on the world for "focusing on inspiration and not theory".

The art of conducting is too difficult to describe with words. Even as a parallel reference, at the turn of the 20th century in Fanning's previous life, the German and Austrian academic schools, which were known as the core birthplace of classical music, did not have a systematic "conducting theory" at that time.

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Even the baton in the current sense was not widely used until the end of the 19th century, which may be later than people's conventional understanding.

Although there are endless masters, if you ask them how they can swing so well? Either because of "ancestors' favor", or because they have been learning music since childhood and have strong perception, and have high attainments in other music fields such as composition and piano, they can rely on their feelings and talent when it comes to conducting.

In that era, the elders taught the younger generations in the same way. After teaching the basic movements, they let the students learn to perform on their own. Those with good comprehension became direct disciples, and those with poor comprehension, there is a saying that those who understand this kind of thing understand, and those who don't understand it don't understand it even if you tell them.

The conductors in this world are similar. They either learn by analogy and become talented by themselves, or they have extremely high comprehension and can understand it at a glance.

But when it comes to Kaplun, the problem is big. If he continues to practice like this, he will probably never "find the feeling" and will always be a qualified assistant conductor.

On the other hand, Fanning's situation is a bit special.

Looking at his current life alone, his talent for conducting is quite good. In addition, he is a graduate of a music school, and Anton Konar, a master musician (of course, Fanning believes that his value has not yet been recognized by the world), teaches him everything he knows.

Coupled with the blessing of mysticism, Fanning can make a good living in the field of conducting with his talent in this life.

As for his amateur learning and research experience in his previous life, including the experience of conducting an orchestra because his teacher appreciated him in college, it seems to be useless as "100+1", but it is not.

He studied systematic and scientific modern conducting theory. After the memory is integrated, it is not "100+1" at all, but "100xn"!

He not only enjoys the "bonus" of inspiration in this world, but also has the blessing of complete music theory in his previous life.

The reason why Fanning's conducting level has quickly risen to a higher level after crossing is that although those modern conducting theories have limited additions to his amateur foundation in his previous life, they have been quickly confirmed and strengthened after changing to a professional high inspiration foundation.

At the same time, this is also very suitable for current teaching, especially for situations like Kaplun who used to be similar to himself.

Fanning has long discovered that Kaplun's comprehension is actually very high.

A person who is not from a professional background can barely be competent as an assistant conductor of a student orchestra in such a short time.

Of course, this is also related to his "too crazy" attitude.

But if he wants to advance, he can't follow the "metaphysical" teaching method. He needs rationality as a guide, just like his smart financial mind.

"As a conductor, the most basic and core task is to accurately show the speed and rhythm to the orchestra, and their judgment of your movements mainly depends on the "beat", so the design of all conducting movements revolves around the primary issue of clearly showing the "beat". Let's start from the most primitive state-"

Fanning, holding a pencil, began to draw a circle evenly clockwise in the air.

"Look, if I conduct a piece of music like this, do you think you can judge the speed?"

"Yes." Kaplun answered without hesitation, "Because you are moving at a constant speed, and it repeats over and over again, I can determine the length of a beat or a measure based on the cycle, um... but I can only judge the speed, there is no rhythm, because I don't know when to start or beat, so this can't be played."

"Very good, let's add the first variable now." Fanning praised.

When the pencil in his hand draws a circle, it accelerates suddenly every time it passes the lowest point, and then uses natural inertia to gradually slow down when it is lifted, and repeats this cycle over and over again.

"What about now?"

"There is a rhythm, because there is a beat." Kaplun still answered immediately, "You emphasized the lowest point, I can use it as the starting beat, and the time it takes to reach the second repetition is the speed of this beat."

"Then do you think you can play it well with my command?"

"Not very good." Kaplun shook his head instinctively.

"Why?"

"Maybe the cycle is too long." Kaplun thought for a while, "so my interpretation is too slow, and as long as there is a slight change in the music, I can't predict and reflect this change in the first time."

"Why is it so long and can't reflect the change?" Fanning coaxed.

"Because... there is no reference?" Kaplun asked tentatively.

"Be more specific."

"Because there is only one 'anchor point'?"

"Very good, let's add a second variable now." Fanning smiled slightly.

When the pencil in his hand was drawing clockwise, it still suddenly accelerated after passing the lowest point, and then gradually decelerated using natural inertia. However, as soon as he passed the highest point, he started to accelerate in advance, so that when he passed the lowest point for the second time, due to You already have a basic speed, so you don't need to "suddenly" accelerate. Then you can use inertia to gradually decelerate as usual.

So there are two 'anchor points' in the circular motion of Fanning's pencil: the lowest and fastest point, and the highest and slowest point.

"This is called 'swinging'." Fan Ning said, "Pay attention to my movements, so the essence of swinging is actually to continuously accelerate and decelerate around these two points."

Kaplan looked at Fanning intently, and he found that this indeed formed the most basic beat model: the speed is clear, the rhythm is clear, and it is easy to predict.

"Of course, in order not to cause trouble to the musicians, our acceleration and deceleration movements must be smooth and natural. There should be no more 'sudden' force at the time of 'starting', especially when falling from the slowest height. When doing this, there must be no trace of stagnation, so the starting frame I use is circular, which makes it easy for you to smooth it out. In practice, it doesn’t matter whether the circle is round enough or not.”

"Remember this original framework." Fan Ning said without stopping, "I'm going to start defining it."

"In clockwise motion, the lowest and fastest point is called the 'first landing point', and the highest and slowest point is the 'second landing point'. From the 'first landing point' to the 'second landing point' The deceleration process is called "post-point motion", and the acceleration process from the "second landing point" to the "first landing point" is called "pre-point motion".

"Just two points, two trajectories, not difficult to remember, right?"

Kaplan stared for about half a minute, then nodded.

"I'm done with my framework," Fan Ning said.

"Ah...that's it?" Kaplan scratched his head, "Honestly, these two concepts are not complicated compared to those harmony and counterpoint skills, and they are easier to play." He began to imitate Fan Ning. He waved the baton with his movements, "I was prepared, thinking that you were going to derive more complex concepts based on this. The latter is quite common in the fields of finance and mathematics."

"That's it." Fan Ning smiled mysteriously, "Next, I'm going to start asking questions."

"How are the so-called dotted swings and linear swings of the academy distinguished by design?"

"Is this the problem that comes directly?" Kaplan's hand stopped moving.

He thought this was the "ultimate question" that could be answered at the end of Fan Ning's teaching.

I just finished talking about the basic model and two sets of concepts, and now I have to answer it myself?

However, the mind of a financial practitioner like Kaplan was obviously not simple. He understood that this must be related to the circular motion mentioned by Fan Ning, so he started this action again.

Suddenly, he realized something and his eyes lit up.

"One thing, they are the same thing, at least the 2\\/2 and 2\\/4 beats are the same thing. Its shooting point, hitting line and reflection line are your 'first landing point', 'Second landing point', 'post-point movement' and 'pre-point movement'. The so-called point swing method and linear swing method are just different degrees of deformation of the 'circle'!"

"Be specific, why is it different?" Fan Ning asked.

"Well... if I want the style to be more cheerful and faster-paced, I make it a little less round, so that it becomes a harder dotted stroke; and if it's a lyrical or sad passage, I make it a little more "out of round". It draws a little more 'arc' and becomes a softer linear swing!

"

Kaplan began to feel vaguely excited, and even Sheeran's brain began to work rapidly.

The two most common and completely opposite methods of command are essentially the same! ? Can it all be explained by Fan Ning’s theory?

Why has no professor ever talked about it like this? ?

"Very good, then I'll ask another question." Fan Ning smiled.

"I want to instruct the band to play an accent on the next beat. How do I do that?"

...Well, this is naturally a wider swing of the beat. Kaplan wanted to speak reflexively, but shut up immediately.

Intensity? Why did Professor Fan Ning ask a question about strength instead of speed?

Is the strength also related to this sports model?

"To give you a hint, regardless of the accent or pianissimo, it definitely means 'change'." Fan Ning said.

Kaplan thought for a long time this time.

"Another reminder, 'movement after point' decelerates, and 'movement before point' accelerates. They both have 'acceleration'."

"Change the positions of the two 'anchor points' of circular motion!" Kaplan suddenly said excitedly.

His expression became vaguely excited: "Wait... wait... let me reason, what you want is the accent, that is to become stronger... increase the strength, so the acceleration must be greater, and this part of the time must be shorter, or before To have more energy..."

"I know, move the highest and slowest point, which is what you call the 'second drop point', back! For example, move it from the top 12 o'clock direction to the 2 o'clock direction!"

"In this way, I got closer when I returned to the 'first landing point' at the bottom. The accumulated power of this 'pre-point movement' was naturally 'longer-lasting'. I didn't have to use any force to get it clear." The ground gives the band a hint for the next beat!”

"Just by breaking the symmetry of 'movement before point' and 'movement after point', I can make dynamic changes at will?"

Fan Ning's simple set of actions and two questions were like throwing a piece of charcoal into the ice of Kaplan's usually confused thoughts, causing them to quickly begin to melt from the middle!

Kaplan walked around, muttering to himself: "Then if I put the 'second drop point' in front, and it is too far away from the 'first drop point', the next beat will naturally be soft and soft, and the band will know to be weak. Played"

“And the further back the ‘second impact point’ is, the more violent the blow to the ‘first impact point’ will be, so I can make any accent according to my mood!”

"Professor Fan Ning, you are simply a god-like existence!

! "

"It's half past ten now, you're crazy! All the professors nearby are taking a break." Seeing Kaplan's voice getting louder and louder, Olga scolded her quickly, but in fact she also had a smile in her eyes.

I don't know how troubled he is when studying these issues on weekdays, but now that Fan Ning has dialed the number in a short time, how can I not be happy for him.

"Actually, it's not just 2\\/2 and 2\\/4." Fan Ning continued, "All can be used. I will now show you how to use 'basic circular motion' in 3\\/4 and 4\\/4. "Changed"

Kaplan watched attentively, and he gradually discovered that all the academic techniques he had mastered before could be modified from Fan Ning's hands, as long as the relative positions of the 'first landing point' and the 'second landing point' were changed, or the 'point' The trajectory ratio of 'post-motion' and 'pre-point motion', or combining multiple basic units.

Fanning demonstrated several representative clips, allowing Kaplan to try to gradually change from 'circular motion' to the required swing shape - in stage practice, it is certainly impossible for anyone to draw circles around the band.

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Capron is very fast to pick up.

Because he had memorized the six commonly used academic formulas, and now Fan Ning revealed the more essential original formulas behind them.

The movements are still the same as before.

But the experience is completely different.

"Professor Fan Ning, I have found the feeling." Kaplan wiped his sweat, "Those professors always said that I was almost emotional, but as soon as the amplitude became larger, they immediately said that my beat was messed up, so they asked me to find a way to maintain it. If you can't find the feeling of trade-off or balance, it means you are not proficient in basic skills. Who knew that the two are essentially the same framework, there is no conflict at all, and there is no need to make a trade-off at all. I finally found the feeling..."

"I said, it's not a matter of 'finding feelings' or 'brewing emotions' at all." Fan Ning smiled and shook his head, "The premise for music to move people's hearts is that it is correct. I have heard many remarks advocating the supremacy of emotions. Those conductors The player made exaggerated postures, repeatedly emphasizing 'open and close', 'the waist drives the arms to exert force', and 'feet provide elastic support'... As a result, the musicians underneath him all saw basic rhythms and expression terms. It’s not accurate, not to mention the sound balance of the voices. People who don’t know it think they are sharing fitness tips..."

"Any art is 'free flight with shackles'. A more neutral word for 'shackles' here is 'principle' or 'rules'. Of course, conducting is also an art... When you understand the 'principle', If you can produce 99% of the music score of a piece of ordinary difficulty, you are already an outstanding 'young conductor'. You can then consider the issue of strong personal style."

Kaplan stood upright and nodded repeatedly.

"Assign a homework." Fan Ning glanced at the clock on the wall, "When you go back, practice the derivation process just now, and think about the suitable pieces of music for each form... Now you promote the change from a to b of the simple system. There should be no problem, but if a1 to b1, a2 to b2, a3 to b3, and the expression terms indicating multiple voices change one after another, I'm afraid it will return to the same old way. Next, I will teach you how to deal with this kind of complex system. ”

Kaplan had put away his baton and took out his notebook to record quickly.

"get out of class is over." Fan Ning waved his hand.

Kaplan quickly took out a bulging envelope from his briefcase: "Professor Fan Ning, I will advance your salary for a quarter. The highest tuition fee I hired from a professor was 30 pounds. I think you should at least double that..."

"If I want to make money, I need a student like you?" Fan Ning shook his head and smiled.

"Mr. Fanning..." Olga stood up quickly on the sofa.

"Take it back." Fan Ning stood up from the piano and moved around. "You spend thousands of pounds a quarter, and the annual income of a high-end middle-class family is only this. This is your income after quitting the financial world? You are really willing to do it."

He snatched the envelope from Kaplan's hand and stuffed it back into his pocket: "If you feel embarrassed, just make progress as soon as possible. After the band is established, you will have to bear the heavy tasks."

"Ah?" Kaplan's attention was finally diverted, "I heard what you mean, my side..."

"What other interviews are there? Get ready to take the job. I am the permanent conductor of the old symphony orchestra, with a weekly salary of 80 pounds."

"No problem." Fan Ning had just finished speaking when Kaplan happily agreed, but immediately got excited and confirmed cautiously and tremblingly:

"What did you say? Permanent...permanent commander? 80 pounds?"