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A rehearsal is an activity in the
performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...
that occurs as preparation for a
performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...
in
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
,
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
,
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
and related arts, such as
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
,
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
and
film production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...
. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated. The term ''rehearsal'' typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people. For example, when a musician is preparing a piano
concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typ ...
in their music studio, this is called ''practising'', but when they practice it with an
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, this is called a ''rehearsal''. The music rehearsal takes place in a music rehearsal space. A rehearsal may involve as few as two people, as with a small play for two actors, an
art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such son ...
by a
singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
and
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
or a folk duo of a singer and guitarist. On the other end of the spectrum, a rehearsal can be held for a very large
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
with over 100 performers and a
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
. A rehearsal can involve only performers of one type, as in an
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
show, in which a group of singers perform without instrumental accompaniment or a play involving only theatre actors; it can involve performers of different instruments, as with an
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
,
rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...
or
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
"
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
"; vocal and instrumental performers, as with
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
and choral works accompanied by orchestra; or a mix of actors, vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers, as with
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
. Rehearsals of small groups, such as small rock bands, jazz quartets or organ trios may be held without a leader; in these cases, the performers jointly determine how to run the rehearsal, which songs to practice, and so on. Some small groups may have their rehearsals led by a
bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues o ...
. Almost all mid- to large-group performances have a person who leads the rehearsals; this person may be a bandleader in a rock, country, or jazz setting; conductor in
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...
(including
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
); director in
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
or
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
; or
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
for movies. While the term is most commonly used in the performing arts to refer to preparation for a public presentation, the term is also used to refer to the preparation for other anticipated activities, such as wedding guests and couples practicing a
wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
ceremony,
paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
s practicing responding to a simulated
emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
, or troops practicing for an attack using a mock-up of the building.


Dress rehearsal

The dress rehearsal is a full-scale rehearsal where the actors and/or musicians perform every detail of the performance. For a theatrical performance, cast members wear their costumes. The actors may use props and backdrops and do not use scripts although the stage manager and director might do so. For a musical performance, the dress rehearsal does not require wearing formal concert outfits (such as, tuxedos and gowns). In music, the dress rehearsal is the final rehearsal before the performance; initial rehearsals will often involve working on challenging sections of the piece or pieces, but during the dress rehearsal, the piece or pieces are typically played in their entirety.


Theatre or opera house

In theatre, a performing arts ensemble rehearses a work in preparation for performance before an audience. Rehearsals that occur early in the production process are sometimes referred to as "run-throughs." Typically, a run-through does not involve most of the technical aspects of a performance, such as costumes, lights, and sound and is primarily used to assist performers in learning dialogue or music and to solidify aspects of blocking, choreography, and stage movement. A "cue to cue" or "Q-2-Q" is a type of
technical rehearsal The technical rehearsal or tech rehearsal is a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment. Types Tech rehearsals generally are broken down into four types: dry tech re ...
and is intended primarily for the lighting and
audio technicians Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound *Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...
involved in a performance although they are of great value to the entire ensemble. It is intended to allow the technicians and
stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
to rehearse the technical aspects of a performance (when lights have to be turned on,
sound effect A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...
s triggered, and items rolled on and off the stage) and to identify and resolve any glitches that might arise. Performers do not typically rehearse entire scenes during a Q-2-Q but instead perform dialogue or actions only that are used by the stage manager as a marker for when to initiate technical sequences or cues (hence the title). Abbreviated Q-2-Qs in which only the opening and closing sequences of each act or scene are performed are sometimes referred to as "tops and tails". It is rare for any but the most technically-complex performances to have Q-2-Q rehearsals other than during technical week. Q-2-Qs are often preceded by a "dry tech" in which the technicians rehearse their technical cues (such as turning on stage lights or triggering sound effects or recorded music) without the actual performers being present at the rehearsal. A "dress rehearsal" is a rehearsal or series of rehearsals in which the ensemble dresses in costume, as they will dress at the performance for the audience. The entire performance will be run from beginning to end, exactly as the real performances will be, including pauses for intermissions. An "open dress" is a dress rehearsal to which specific individuals have been invited to attend as audience members. They may include patrons (who pay a reduced ticket price), family and friends of the ensemble, or reviewers from the media. The dress rehearsal is often the last set of rehearsals before the concert performance and falls at the end of technical week. A "preview", although technically a performance as there is a full audience, including individuals who have paid for admission, is arguably also a rehearsal in as far as it is common in complex performances for the production to stop or even to return to an earlier point in the performance if there are unavoidable or unresolvable problems. Audience members typically pay a lower price to attend a preview performance. In traditional Japanese Noh theatre, performers primarily rehearse separately, rehearsing together only once, a few days before the show. That is to emphasize the transience of the show in the philosophy of " ichi-go ichi-e", "one chance, one meeting".


Music


Professional classical ensembles

A professional
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
,
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
or chamber ensemble (e.g.,
string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...
or wind quintet) rehearses a piece (or song) in order to coordinate the rhythmic ensemble, ensure that the intonation of pitches of the different sections matches exactly, and coordinate the dynamics (changes in loudness and softness) and phrasing. A professional ensemble will typically only rehearse an orchestral work for two or three rehearsals which are held several days before the first performance. A professional ensemble is much less likely than an amateur orchestra to play the piece all the way through in the first rehearsals. Instead, a professional ensemble will typically review passages which pose challenges from the point of view of rhythmic or harmonic coordination. An example of a passage that might pose rhythmic coordination challenges would be a contemporary work which involves polyrhythms, in which one section of the orchestra plays a rhythm in 4/4 while another plays a melody in 5/4. An example of harmonic challenges would be a work in which the orchestra has to perform dissonant, complex harmonies, such as bitonality; an example would be the string section playing in C major while the brass section plays in F# major. The conductor leads orchestral rehearsals, choosing sections to perform and calling out bar numbers or
rehearsal letter A rehearsal letter is a boldface letter of the alphabet in an orchestral score, and its corresponding parts, that provides the conductor, who typically leads rehearsals, with a convenient spot to tell the orchestra to begin at places other than t ...
s to direct the orchestra to them. While classical conductors do not typically speak to direct the orchestra during concerts, during rehearsals, the conductor speaks to communicate their artistic vision for the piece and explain the "articulation" (note lengths), tone colors, and tempos they would like to use. During initial rehearsals, the conductor frequently stops the rehearsal to ask players or sections to change the way they are playing or provide guidance to the orchestra. For a choir, the choral conductor will lead rehearsals. In cases where a choir is preparing a piece which will be sung with an orchestra, the initial rehearsals may be led by the choir's conductor and the rehearsals closer to the concert by the orchestra's conductor. For works that present a particular challenge for certain sections (e.g., a complex, exposed passage for the violas), orchestras may have sectional rehearsals or sectionals in which a section rehearses on their own under the direction of the principal player or, in some cases, also with the conductor (e.g., in the case of a very rhythmically challenging piece). Prior to rehearsing a
concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typ ...
with an orchestra, a soloist will rehearse it with a pianist substituting for the parts played by the orchestra (thus, two pianists in the case of piano concerti or a violinist and pianist in preparation for a violin concerto). To help with tempo in orchestral, solo, or chamber rehearsals, a
metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
may be used to sound out the tempo prior to the commencement of a piece. For musical performances, a dress rehearsal does not imply dressing in concert dress. It is a final rehearsal before performance where generally the ensemble will run through the program as if there were an audience. In some orchestras, there may be a limited audience during the dress rehearsal (typically university music students or other invited guests).


Amateur classical ensembles

Amateur orchestras or chamber ensembles, such as university or community groups, rehearse music for a number of reasons. While an amateur ensemble does rehearsals for many of the same reasons as a professional ensemble—to coordinate the rhythmic ensemble and intonation—with an amateur group the conductor has to do much more teaching to the orchestra. However, amateur musicians are much more likely to make note mistakes, transposition errors or play with incorrect intonation or rhythms; the conductor must point these issues out to the performers and give them advice on how to correct them. In amateur groups, players may not have strong ensemble skills, so the conductor may have to coach players about how to learn to blend their sound well with other sections or how to coordinate rhythmic passages that are played by different sections, or how to mark their part after they make an error to prevent the error from being repeated. Rehearsals are also used to teach ensemble members about music history and basic performance practice, so that they can learn the different playing styles and tones used in music from different eras. As well, orchestra conductors select pieces so that players can learn new skills, such as more complicated rhythms. For an amateur ensemble, the rehearsals are used to give the players an opportunity to have repeated chances to learn to perform difficult passages in an ensemble context. Amateur choirs use rehearsals to build choral singing skills, such as singing with a good ensemble and with solid intonation and vocal tone. Amateur groups are much more likely than professional groups to hold sectional rehearsals. Another difference between rehearsals in an amateur orchestra and a professional orchestra is the number of rehearsals. A community orchestra or university ensemble may have ten or even fifteen rehearsals over several months to prepare a major symphony; a professional orchestra might prepare that same symphony in two rehearsals over two days. In an amateur performance consisting of miscellaneous items, such as songs, theatrical performances, skits, and musical pieces, it is common to have "a walk through rehearsal" on the concert day. This "walk through" requires the musicians, singers and actors to walk on and off stage without actually performing their full pieces. Each soloist or ensemble has had a number of previous rehearsals to work on their specific song or piece. The "walk through" helps performers to remember which performers need to go on stage together (e.g., a jazz singer needs to go onstage with her piano accompanist and bass player), what materials or items are required (e.g., a string quartet will require four chairs and four music stands, in addition to their instruments), and which lighting or
sound reinforcement system A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers in enclosures all controlled by a mixing console that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sou ...
elements are required. For example, a comedian may want a dark stage with just a spotlight, whereas a choir may wish to have the entire stage lit.


Popular and traditional music

Pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
, rock,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
bands rehearse before performances. Rehearsals assemble the elements of a musical event, offering an experimental space where sounds and rhythms are put together and taken apart, played with, argued over, and refined. In these styles of music, rehearsals may be less formal than in a classical orchestra context. However, the purpose of rehearsals is the same: to ensure that all the band members can play and/or sing their parts with a good rhythmic ensemble, correct intonation, and the right "feel" and style. As with classical rehearsals, the earlier rehearsals for a show often focus more on working out the most difficult sections of songs, such as transitions from one tempo to another tempo, modulations to a new key, or coordinating a duet between two solo instruments. The rehearsals closer to the performance are more likely to involve run-throughs of entire songs. Whereas Classical rehearsals are led by the conductor or choir leader, popular music band rehearsals are typically led by the
bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues o ...
, who is typically a member of the band. The bandleader sets the tempos for songs, chooses which instruments will have solos, and cues the start of new sections of a song. The bandleader also typically chooses the members of the
rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhyth ...
: the instruments that provide the beat and the chord progression for songs. The rhythm section varies somewhat between genres, but in general it includes chordal instruments (e.g.,
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
,
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...
), a bass instrument (e.g.,
electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...
or
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
) and
drum kit A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
and/or
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
instruments. For major touring bands that have a large stage show, with lights, pyrotechnics, massive moving props, and so on, there may be numerous rehearsals for the technical elements, in addition to the purely musical rehearsals held by the band. When a pop or rock group is accompanied in a concert by an
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, a conductor is often used to lead the orchestra. In some pop or rock concerts where a large ensemble is performing, such as a group involving multiple guitar players, multiple percussionists, and the regular rhythm section, a conductor may also be used to lead the ensemble. For these types of shows, the conductor and the bandleader coordinate the rehearsals together.


In other contexts

The use of rehearsals and dress rehearsals extends beyond the performing arts. When an organization has to learn how to implement a new process, it may rehearse the activity beforehand. Emergency-planning organizations often rehearse their preparations for responding to civil disasters; in some cases, there may even be actors playing the role of "injured people", so that emergency workers can learn how to provide assistance. Armies that are planning an attack on a certain target may create a mock-up of the target and rehearse the attack. The Israeli Defence Force used this approach in planning for the Raid on Entebbe, which freed
air hijacking Aircraft hijacking (also known as airplane hijacking, skyjacking, plane hijacking, plane jacking, air robbery, air piracy, or aircraft piracy, with the last term used within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States) is the unlawfu ...
hostages. An accurate model of the airport building where the hostages were being held by gunmen was recreated so that the commandos could practice their attack maneuvers. The introduction of major changes to complex industrial and technical fields, such as
information systems An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people ...
is often rehearsed, particularly where this requires multiple activities to be coordinated and completed within time constraints. Many companies undertook major initiatives with their computer staff to rehearse the changes associated with the Year 2000 problem and the
economic and monetary union of the European Union The economic and monetary union (EMU) of the European Union is a group of policies aimed at converging the economies of member states of the European Union at three stages. There are three stages of the EMU, each of which consists of prog ...
.


See also

*
Sitzprobe In opera and musical theatre, a ''sitzprobe'' (from the German for ''seated rehearsal'') is a rehearsal where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestr ...
*
Stagecraft Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; a ...
*
Technical rehearsal The technical rehearsal or tech rehearsal is a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment. Types Tech rehearsals generally are broken down into four types: dry tech re ...


References

{{reflist Music performance Stagecraft Theatre