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I would like to know whether it is common for music teacher instructors, and, perhaps, also with musical orchestra directors, but perhaps not, to introduce special sounds, in special ways, by means of some object, or even with their voice, to induce a pause in the instrument players or singers (and, whether, there are some sounds that will work in general to get the player or singer to pause, by inducing a blockage in their brain's functioning, with the sound, perhaps even in measured ways, maybe even with the player's or singer's cooperation, or whether it is just me).

Thank you for your suggestions.

It would be nice to see a few videos of examples of how people do this or how this is done in practice (if you know what I'm talking about).

Thanks.

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  • When conducting youth ensembles (in rehearsals, not performance) I'll often just "SH!!" loudly at problematic rests; it gets attention, and we're already conditioned to respond by hesitating.
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 14:53

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In educational settings, definitely yes.

For ear training, especially rhythmic dictation, I’ve seen various sounds or actions suggested during rests to help time the rest. Similarly for (student) choral groups learning the rhythm of a new piece.

And example would be saying the solfège syllables in time and clapping, stomping, tapping, or otherwise using a noise not made with the mouth for rests.

When learning complicated rhythms on my own, I’ve worked on ways to move or make a small sound or say something for a rest.

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  • Are you thinking solfege timing names - most players are more aware of solfege pitch names?
    – Tim
    Commented Sep 5, 2022 at 14:49
  • @Tim Maybe I wasn’t clear. I was talking about saying the solfège names of the notes without singing in time and then clapping on rests (as one example). It’s an exercise to get a student chorale to be rhythmically together without worrying about intonation, etc. Just focusing on the timing.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Commented Sep 5, 2022 at 17:49
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A violin teacher I had used to sniff instead of playing, when he got to rests. Most of us will probably count out loud through the rests. Nodding or shrugging shoulders works as well - if that's what you mean.

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  • Say what now? If I caught a fellow musician (chamber or large ensemble) counting audibly, I'd feed them their instrument. Doesn't happen.
    – Carl Witthoft
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 14:30
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    @CarlWitthoft - I'd have thought it obvious I meant during practice/rehearsal. Obviously not that obvious. Obviously, by performance time, the rests would be looking after themselves, I'd hope. And it would seem that OP is asking about instructors, etc, who would be - instructing.
    – Tim
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 15:48
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So far as groups with a conductor/music director go, the conductor will NOT make any sounds during performances (unless it's in the score; thanks PDQ Bach). For student and lower-level groups, the director may well count out beats through tough passages in early rehearsals until the players learn their charts properly.
Speaking specifically about pauses: these are either GP (grand pause) or cesura or post-fermata situations, and the conductor's baton clearly indicates when to stop and when to start up again.

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    I knew a choral conductor who, when he got to the grand pause at the end of the Hallelujah Chorus, would try to keep anybody from singing during the rest by dropping his arms entirely, clamping them to his sides as if in a straight jacket, and staying frozen until the rest had passed.
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 14:50

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