Should I teach myself or not?

[newnew123]

I started directing when I was 16 years old, and my former pastor appointed me to this position..  I still had doubt about directing a choir with no order or displicine, so I decided to take the position.. Being 16 years old with a helpless background about music, I tried my best.. I gradually kept getting complimented with good job, great job, and etc.  It was always great compliment, but I always was upset because I felt that I was a horrible choir director...  Sometimes I just want the honest truth from people of how horrible I am.. It is so visa versa because happy compliment get you all happy and stuff; after all, it was getting me all upset.. Later on in the years, I thought my musician was best playing piano ever, but I thought wrong.. He always play in the same key; it always be in bass clef.. Whenever we do a fast song, it is in bass clef when it supposed to be in treble clef.  I have an excellent drummer..  The only ability I have as a choir director is rymthm, beat, and playing with voices!!  My hands are still a little off, and it seems that choir understand the signals! But it seems that I am missing something?  How can I get better at what I like? Do I need to learn about notes?? Do I need to improve my hand signals?? Because I do not have many, I know there is more to directing?? Do i need a new musician?? Maybe I can improve??  Any information at the moment will be helpful for me!! Please all the choir directors, musicians, drummers!! What should I do???

[cas10a]

I started directing when I was 16 years old, and my former pastor appointed me to this position..  I still had doubt about directing a choir with no order or displicine, so I decided to take the position.. Being 16 years old with a helpless background about music, I tried my best.. I gradually kept getting complimented with good job, great job, and etc.  It was always great compliment, but I always was upset because I felt that I was a horrible choir director...  Sometimes I just want the honest truth from people of how horrible I am.. It is so visa versa because happy compliment get you all happy and stuff; after all, it was getting me all upset.. Later on in the years, I thought my musician was best playing piano ever, but I thought wrong.. He always play in the same key; it always be in bass clef.. Whenever we do a fast song, it is in bass clef when it supposed to be in treble clef.  I have an excellent drummer..  The only ability I have as a choir director is rymthm, beat, and playing with voices!!  My hands are still a little off, and it seems that choir understand the signals! But it seems that I am missing something?  How can I get better at what I like? Do I need to learn about notes?? Do I need to improve my hand signals?? Because I do not have many, I know there is more to directing?? Do i need a new musician?? Maybe I can improve??  Any information at the moment will be helpful for me!! Please all the choir directors, musicians, drummers!! What should I do???

Playing in the Bass cleff has nothing to do with the key...

Yes, you probably need to take some music classes or just do some research here on LGM...It's all good we all make mistakes...

I don't know what you mean by your musician is playing the Bass cleff, rather the Treble cleff...but like I said it's all good, if you are going to Direct, take advantage of the knowledge provided on line....God Bless!

And No you probably don't need a new musician...

[kodacolor]

I started directing when I was 16 years old, and my former pastor appointed me to this position..  I still had doubt about directing a choir with no order or displicine, so I decided to take the position.. Being 16 years old with a helpless background about music, I tried my best.. I gradually kept getting complimented with good job, great job, and etc.  It was always great compliment, but I always was upset because I felt that I was a horrible choir director...  Sometimes I just want the honest truth from people of how horrible I am.. It is so visa versa because happy compliment get you all happy and stuff; after all, it was getting me all upset..

The only ability I have as a choir director is rymthm, beat, and playing with voices!!  My hands are still a little off, and it seems that choir understand the signals! But it seems that I am missing something?  How can I get better at what I like? Do I need to learn about notes?? Do I need to improve my hand signals?? Because I do not have many, I know there is more to directing?? Do i need a new musician?? Maybe I can improve??  Any information at the moment will be helpful for me!! Please all the choir directors, musicians, drummers!! What should I do???

Have someone record you directing a couple songs one Sunday,  put it on Youtube as "Unlisted", put the links on LGM, an we'll help you out.    Also, there are threads in this forum about how to direct by vtguy84.  You can find them by using the search tool.  Type "direct" in the 'search for' box, uncheck the 'check all' box, click "Choose a board to search in, or search all', check "Ministry, M.O.M, Praise Teams and Choirs", then click "search".  Off the top of my head the threads that may contain a lot of what you want are vtguy's so if you want to search for him specifically, type 'vtguy84' in the 'by user' box.

He always play in the same key; it always be in bass clef.. Whenever we do a fast song, it is in bass clef when it supposed to be in treble clef. 

  So he plays the base line with no chords?  He only plays chords in the left hand with nothing complimenting them with his right hand?  What do you mean?  The clefs aren't indicators of what key a song is in.

[newnew123]

  well i am so upset! i thought i had a little music experinece, but i guess i am not!! Thanks for advice! I will give you a video!!!

[musallio]

The story about the bass clef- i think what you are trying to say is that the pianist plays good bass lines, but doesn't play the melody in his/ her right hand???  I should not see this as a problem if it did not affect the the singers/ your directing in a negative way.
If you find this problem to be affecting the singer's voices/ parts, then I would suggest trying out hymns to get the pianist to play the melody on top if need be- hymns kinda give you no option but to play the melody- that's when they sound best.

 know there is a stickied section that vtguy84 posted to help directors- i recommend that to you:
http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,77897.0.html

All the best.

[csedwards2]

go to choir seminars, praise and worship conferences, choir competitions and meet up with some of the local directors, you might meet some that help you a little, you might meet some that will help you alot. Also, you can watch choir concerts and with all these things; TAKE NOTES and learn. The Ricky Dillard concert airs sometimes on the Word network in the early am, if you can pinpoint the time, Id record it. I think Ive caught some old Hez on there too. Or you could just buy some concerts on DVD.

[musallio]

go to choir seminars, praise and worship conferences, choir competitions and meet up with some of the local directors, you might meet some that help you a little, you might meet some that will help you alot. Also, you can watch choir concerts and with all these things; TAKE NOTES and learn. The Ricky Dillard concert airs sometimes on the Word network in the early am, if you can pinpoint the time, Id record it. I think Ive caught some old Hez on there too. Or you could just buy some concerts on DVD.

great advice.

[BEEJAXX]

The Bass clef treble clef thing has got me stumped. What does that mean?

Was in the same situation so I practiced directing our songs, I watched other directors, I went to classes, I learned more about music by learning how to play piano.  I watched and studied and learned from the folk around me.  Find someone who is doing what you need to do and watch them either up close or from afar. Go see the local best choir when they have concerts make friends with other choir directors.  In short-- Hustle get going!!!

[cbjr]

That musician that you have is what we call a basic piano player or like we say down south average. remember some people or gifted piano player and some or not. When you find one he or she will have that choir sounding like a professional mass choir. I know of this male choir whenever they sing along with this certain piano player sound like The Canton Spiritual or Williams Brothers, but when that piano player is not there, you can select the one s in that choir who can sing and cant sing. If you got a talent for putting together voices sing acapella sometime, leave that piano player out and listen at that great harmony you have  put together, then try letting that piano p[layer p[lay along i guarantee yuo he or she would have your choir sounding like water hitting a bucket with tahat out of key playing.