Why do orchestras need the conductor?

[Brandi555]

I was watching a video of an orchestra and the conductor guy was just waiving around his stick and then when it was over everyone clapped and he was all like proud of himself. Like wtf did he do? Lol. Waive that stupid stick around.

[Fireguy17]

It's way more than that.
A conductor will hold the tempo, cue instruments when it is time to play, do crescendos, and decrecendos, many times it can very do to ambient noises, note rests, or pauses, there can be time changes, 2/2 ,3/4, 6/8, 8/8 or many other combinations, speed up or slow down the tempo.
If there is a hold, they let you know how long to hold it.
You are always reading your music but with your peripheral vision you keep your eyes on the conductor, and when there is something major happening you tend to watch him.
He let's you know if you are sharp or flat.
Most instruments can play the same notes, but by varying your lip positioning on the mouth piece you can be off.
Trombones, which I play have over 120 different slide positions.
There are 7 main ones, but many variations of that position, and mine also has a valve that can be used in conjunction with the slide to give you a different note just by using the valve and not moving the slide.
Sting instruments are a whole different instrument, percussion, when is the right time for a cymbal crash.
If you look at a conductors score, it has every note for every instrument, base and treble cliff along with all of the different parts for each instrument.
For Trombones, there can be 4 different parts and one for a base trombone, and most times we play different notes and rhythms from each other.
Without a conductor it just wouldn't sound good.
He is the leader that tells us when to play, how fast or slow, how loud or soft, when to stop and stop.
It is a very important job.
Every movement of his baton eye position,, is he looking at us,, or the woodwinds,, and hand means something to someone.
Sorry I got a bit wordy.
Hard to make sense of it otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I used to wonder that when I was little.

So I dont really know, Im not an expert but I believe that the situation is that the conductor is the only one who can hear everybody so they are controlling the volume, intensity and style of the players so that the overall performance is optimal.

You could equally ask if you have already heard one person play something what would be the point in listening to a second person play? Well everyone plays differently, the conductor is influencing this. The same orchestra would play the same piece of music differently with a different conductor.

Its a bit like baseball coaches; dude why do you keep adjusting your cap, touching your junk and playing with your nipples? Just calm down, those guys know how to catch a ball they dont need your unwanted sexual advances from the sidelines.

[WhitneySnow]

He guides the orchestra and tells them how to play by waving his baton

[Brandi555]

But don’t the people already know how play? I mean what if he wasn’t there? What would happen? Sorry. Not giving you a hard time I’m curious.

[WhitneySnow]

He gives them like really detailed instructions that go beyond what’s in the sheet music. He’s basically like the leader of the band and everybody else follows his baton signals. Or maybe like a coach in football. Without him the rest of the orchestra wouldn’t play nearly as good.

[Brandi555]

Oh. What if a bee flew by and he tried to hit it with his stick? Lmfao.

[WhitneySnow]

That would fuck up everything lol

[Brandi555]

Lmfao. 😂😂

[Anonymous]

They may have played the same piece 100 times before the audience see it. Perhaps his work is pretty much done by then. Perhaps he looks proud because his team have done a great job without hardly looking at him and if a manager can do that for his team, maybe he deserves to be proud a little for himself too.

[Brandi555]

Ohhhh. Ok. So he’s the one who trained them together? So he doesn’t exactly have to be there when they perform but since he brought them to that point he’s there to support? I think I get it. Thanks.

[exitseven]

I always say this too. I bet that could stand up there and wave a little stick around just as good as this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACri2I4uQQI

[Chazmatazz269]

I’ve often wondered that myself. But there might be something to it. Say you’re driving a cast of livestock. Maybe one or two appear to be less motivated or less ambitious than the others. If they were motivated by the others’ ambition, or the rewards the others received, maybe they’d behave differently. I think that’s the point of a conductor. To remind everyone why they’re there.
Then again, i’ve never been part of a great band or orchestra, so i’m probably out in left field! Ell oh ell!

[John-E_63]

Everything needs a conductor, otherwise, it'll blow up. 😉

[whereismyjohnny]

Because he guides them.