What does a conductor do? An answer for kids and parents

A conductor leads an orchestra. The conductor stands in front of the players, faces them, and uses arm and hand movements to tell them when to start, how fast to play, and how loudly to play. The conductor does not play an instrument during the piece. The orchestra makes all the sound.

Most children ask the same question at their first concert: “Why is that person just waving?” The answer is that the waving is the job.

Why an orchestra needs a conductor

An orchestra can have 80 or more players. They sit in a wide curve, and some are far from each other. A player in the back row cannot hear a violinist at the front in the same instant. Without a shared signal, the group would drift apart.

The conductor is that signal. Everyone watches the same person, so everyone plays the same beat.

What the conductor does

Sets the speed. Before the music begins, the conductor decides how fast the piece will go. The first movement of the arms shows that speed. The words for speed are explained in tempo words in music.

Gives the start. The conductor lifts both arms, waits for the room to go quiet, and takes a breath. The players breathe with that motion. Then the arms drop and the music begins.

Cues each section. A flute may rest for two minutes and then need to play one soft note. The conductor looks at the flutes and points or nods just before that note. The player knows exactly when to come in.

Controls loud and soft. Big, wide arm movements ask for a big sound. Small, close movements ask for a quiet one. The terms for this are in dynamics in music explained for kids.

Shapes the feeling. Two conductors can lead the same piece and make it sound different. One may choose a slower pace. Another may ask the strings to play more smoothly. The conductor decides how the piece should feel, and the players follow.

Leads rehearsals. Most of the work happens before the concert. In rehearsal, the conductor stops the orchestra, fixes a spot, and plays it again. The conductor also studies the full score, which shows the music for every instrument at once.

The baton and the left hand

Many conductors hold a thin stick called a baton. It makes the movement of the hand easier to see from far away. Some conductors use no baton and conduct with bare hands.

In the usual pattern, the right hand keeps the beat. The left hand often does other jobs: it shows the volume, points to a section for a cue, or shapes a long, smooth phrase.

For a piece with four beats in each measure, the beat pattern goes down, then toward the left, then toward the right, then up. For three beats, it goes down, right, and up. The number of beats comes from the time signature. See time signatures explained for what those numbers mean.

What the conductor does not do

The conductor does not tap out each note. Players already have their own music in front of them. The conductor does not drown out the orchestra either. The job is to guide the players, not to replace them.

Who the first violinist is

When the players walk on stage, one violinist sits at the front, closest to the audience, on the conductor’s left. This is the concertmaster, the leader of the violin section and of the whole orchestra. The conductor usually shakes this player’s hand before the piece begins.

Before that, the concertmaster signals the oboe to play a single note. All the players tune their instruments to it. Then the conductor walks out. Your child can watch for each of these steps at a concert. The full evening is described in first orchestra concert with kids.

What to watch for at a concert

Tell your child to look at three things.

1. The conductor’s face. Conductors often look at a section and smile or raise eyebrows to show how they want the music to sound.
2. The size of the arms. Notice when they get larger and when they shrink. The volume of the music follows.
3. The first beat after a pause. Watch the conductor’s arms stop, and then see the whole orchestra stop at the same instant.

At the end, the conductor turns around and bows. The conductor may also point to a player or a section, and those players stand to take a bow.

Play conductor at home

Your child needs no special tools. A wooden spoon, a pencil, or a bare hand will do.

Follow the speed. Play a recording and ask your child to move an arm in time with the beat. Pick a piece with a clear pulse, such as the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

Lead the volume. Put on a piece and ask your child to make the arms small when the music is soft and large when it is loud.

Be the conductor and the orchestra. Your child is the conductor, and you and the family are the players. Clap, tap, or hum together. Your child lifts both arms to start, and the group begins. Slow the arms down, and the group slows down. Stop the arms, and everyone stops.

Watch the instruments. Play the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Ask your child to point at each instrument as it takes a turn, the way a conductor cues a section.

Common questions

Do all orchestras have a conductor? Large orchestras almost always do. Some small groups play without one, and the players lead with nods and eye contact.

Can a conductor play an instrument? Many conductors learned an instrument first, often piano or violin. The piano is a common starting point because it lets a musician read many parts at once.

Is the conductor the most important person? The orchestra makes the sound, and the conductor makes it work as one group. Each player matters to the result.

Can a child learn to conduct? Yes. Basic beat patterns are easy to learn, and a music teacher can show them in a lesson. A child who already knows time signatures can learn the patterns quickly. For more on what children study, see music theory for parents.