anatomy of a conductor: arms

Anatomy is a big deal for a conductor.  Because we're athletes, dontcha know.  Which parts of your body go where, and having a sense of how they move, how big they are, how much they weigh, how they are perceived by others when still and in motion... we need to know these things.

Arms and arm-waving are the things most readily associated with conducting, so I'll talk about arms first.  But before that, let's get one thing straight: there are joints and there are bones, places that move and places that don't.  Ideas about areas of the body sometimes get confused with actual anatomy, and we need to be clear about this.  The concept of a "shoulder," for example, is vague.  A "broad shouldered" individual might be thought to have a wide expanse between his neck and his arm, but that expanse is, itself, not shoulder.  The shoulder is the point where the clavicle and scapula come together at the humerus, where the sleeve is attached to the shirt.  The expanse in between shoulder and neck, as far as a conductor is concerned, is still arm.  A public domain image from our good friend Wikipedia...

So, your arm starts where the clavicle meets the sternum in the front of the body, and in the back at the scapula.  Then the scapula and clavicle come together at the shoulder, where they meet the humerus.

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, very simple and limited in its flexibility only by muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

The humerus is a thick, heavy bone.

The elbow is the joint between the humerus and radius/ulna (the two bones in the forearm). It is a hinge joint that also allows for the rotation of the forearm.

 If you stick your hand out in front you, palm down, the ulna is the bone on the outside of your forearm, and the radius moves when you turn your hand.  The ulna is heavier and straighter while the radius is slightly more delicate.

The bones of the forearm meet the bones of your hand at the wrist.  The wrist is a complicated joint which allows your forearm to rotate, your hand to hinge up and down, and also lateral motion.

The hand itself is made up of many bones, but the important part for conductors the joints in your fingers.

Each joint is a place where movement can occur, and movement from each joint is perceived differently because of the size, scope, and weight inherent in movement from that joint.  Fingers only: delicate, light.  Elbow only: heavier, stiffer.  Shoulder only: very weird and Nazi-ish.

In general, people know that big gestures are for loud sounds and small gestures are for quiet sounds.  This isn't just an arbitrary decision.  To move your whole arm very quickly requires a lot of energy, so an ensemble will respond to a large, fast-moving gesture by playing with more energy.  Putting lots of energy into a small motion is trickier, just like playing softly but intensely doesn't come easily to beginning musicians.  But it can be done.

Hand position is somewhat controversial.  I know one conductor who insists that a conductor should always keep his hand sideways, palm in.  But most conductors want flexibility, and hand position has a lot of influence on tone.  A flat, wide hand suggests breadth.  A rounded hand suggests space and warmth.  A pointed shape (just one finger out, or a sort of "okay" sign) suggests focus.  

When you put a baton in your hand, it removes some of those options from your dominant hand, but gives you another possible joint and another way of moving.  A baton has no muscle of its own, and learning to include it in your arm takes some practice.  But batons are a whole other post.