Tag Archives: Cheer Routine Planning

Cheer How-To Series, Coaching, Featured, Music, Tips

Guide to Syncing your Cheer Music with your Choreography: Tips for Cheer Coaches

Posted on by Steve Pawlyk
02
Nov

By Steve Pawlyk

Published November 2, 2023

Music and choreography go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. However, seamlessly integrating the two can be a daunting task for many cheer coaches. So, what are the key elements to consider while aligning cheer music with choreography? How can one make the most of every beat, lyric, and musical transition? This comprehensive guide aims to answer these questions and more, making your life as a cheer coach just a little bit easier.

Understanding the Basics of Cheer Music: The Four Pillars

Mastering the art of synchronizing cheer music with choreography begins with understanding the underlying structure and nuances of the music itself. As a cheer coach, being well-versed in these fundamentals can significantly elevate your team’s performance. Let’s break down these core aspects one by one.

cheerleading-music-choreography

Musical Structure: The Backbone of Your Routine

In a typical cheer mix, you’ll usually find the following sections:

  • Intro: This section sets the tone for your entire performance. You can think of it as a hook that grabs the audience’s attention. Choreography in this section should be compelling but not give everything away just yet.
  • Cheer: This is the heart of your routine where you can incorporate most of your stunts, tumbles, and jumps. It’s the high-energy section that showcases your team’s athleticism and skill.
  • Dance: Here’s where you get to show off your team’s creativity and synchronization. Dance sections usually allow for artistic expression, so don’t shy away from experimenting with formations and styles.
  • Outro: This is your last impression on the judges and audience, so make it count. A well-thought-out outro can tie your entire performance together and leave a lasting impact.

Understanding these sections helps in mapping out your choreography in a structured manner, ensuring that you maximize the impact of each part of your routine.

Beats and Counts: The Language of Precision

8-counts are to cheerleading what alphabets are to language. These are the building blocks that will guide your choreography. In an 8-count structure, each count corresponds to a particular movement, position, or transition.

  • Syncing with Music: Always ensure that your 8-count sheets are perfectly in sync with the music. For instance, a high-flying stunt could coincide with a climactic musical note for added dramatic effect.
  • Uniformity: Consistency in counts ensures that the entire team moves as a single unit. Even a half-count off can be noticeable and cost you valuable points.

Lyrics and Voiceovers: The Signposts of Your Routine

Customized cheer music often includes personalized lyrics and voiceovers that can serve as auditory cues for your team. For example, if your team name or a specific word is echoed, that could signal the beginning of a new formation or stunt.

  • Internal Cues: These voiceovers can serve as internal cues for your team, keeping everyone on track during the routine.
  • Audience Engagement: Clever use of voiceovers can also engage the audience and get them excited, especially if they’re designed to be interactive or catchy.

Genre and Mood: Matching the Vibe of Your Team

The genre and mood of the music should mirror the essence of your team and the message you want to convey. If your team excels in powerful, high-energy routines, a fast-paced pop or electronic song could be ideal. Alternatively, if your routine has a storyline or a thematic element, a slower, more dramatic piece might be more suitable.

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  • Audience Resonance: Choose a genre that not only suits your team but also resonates with your target audience. Sometimes, familiarity with the genre can evoke emotional engagement, adding another layer of impact to your performance.
  • Mood Transitions: If your routine includes different moods or narratives, consider using a multi-genre mix that transitions smoothly to tell your story effectively.

By mastering these four pillars of cheer music—Musical Structure, Beats and Counts, Lyrics and Voiceovers, and Genre and Mood—you’ll be well-equipped to design a routine that’s not just synchronized but also sensational.

Know Your Team’s Skill Level

Evaluating your team’s skill level is paramount when syncing music with choreography. Here’s how to go about it:

  • Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Is your team excellent at tumbles but not so great at stunts? Use this information to highlight their strengths in the routine.
  • Complexity vs Simplicity: For novice teams, sticking to simpler choreography and musical elements is advised. Advanced teams can experiment with complex transitions and tricks.
  • Customization: Many services, like IPP Music, offer customized cheer music tailored to your team’s capabilities, ensuring a perfect match between music and moves.

Choosing the Right Tempo

A significant aspect to consider is the tempo of your cheer music. This will highly influence the pace and energy of your choreography.

  • Fast Tempo: Ideal for routines that require high energy and rapid movements.
  • Medium Tempo: Great for a balanced routine with a mix of stunts, jumps, and dance elements.
  • Slow Tempo: Suitable for dramatic, story-telling routines with intricate moves and stunts.

Mapping Out Your Routine

Once you have the basics down, you’ll want to start mapping out your routine, including:

  • Sequence Planning: Decide the order in which elements like tumbles, jumps, and stunts will appear in your routine.
  • Transitions: Plan transitions carefully. Good transitions are as important as the stunts or tumbles themselves.
  • Musical Cues: Make use of the built-in cues in your music to signal the start or end of specific elements.

Key Choreography Tips

  • Musicality: Aim to make your moves flow naturally with the music. Each beat, rhythm, and lyric should have a corresponding move or emotion.
  • Timing: Ensure that your team can execute moves within the timeframe of the music segments. Practicing with a metronome can be beneficial.
  • Variety: Add a mix of elements to keep the audience engaged. Variety is the spice of a winning routine!

How to Practice Effectively

Effective practice is the key to a flawless performance. Here are some tips:

  • Start Slow: Begin by practicing individual elements separately before combining them.
  • Record and Review: Record your practice sessions to identify areas of improvement.
  • Repetition: Consistency is key. The more your team practices, the more muscle memory they’ll build, making it easier to sync with the music.

Integrating cheer music and choreography is not just an art but also a science that requires meticulous planning and practice. By understanding the basics of cheer music, assessing your team’s skill level, choosing an appropriate tempo, and employing smart choreography tips, you can create a performance that is not just synchronized but also sensational.

I hope this guide has been helpful in answering some of the common questions cheer coaches have regarding cheer music and choreography. For customized cheer music to match your choreography needs, consider IPP Music  :)

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Featured, Music, Tips

The Do’s and Don’ts of the 8-Count Sheet

Posted on by Steve Pawlyk
Do and Donts of 8 count sheet ipp blog yhz 2100x_
08
Jul

By Steve Pawlyk

Published July 8, 2019

THE DO'S and DONT'S OF THE 8-COUNT SHEET

Someone out there needs to hear this…

your 8-count sheets are a mess

There I said it!  Don’t be mad. I’m just playing with you!  I know that filling out an 8-count sheet can be confusing and tedious at times.  Who wants to sit there and fill in each of those little boxes count by count – line by line.  It can make you pull your hair out. I know that’s why so many coaches fly through it just to get it done.  I’m right there with you. I have been guilty of this at times too. However, it can be problematic since the 8-count sheet can be a critical part of your music creation.  Most of the time it’s all your producer has at their disposal. Therefore, if your 8-count sheet is unclear or confusing then your music producer may not be able to execute that perfect mix that you envision.  Let me help you to solve this problem by providing examples of the do’s and don’ts of the 8-count sheet.

YHZ 8count 1

So why is this important?

yhz_heartbeat

Plain and simple, having the perfect 8-count sheet will reduce any aggravation on the part of you and your producer.  Your mix is the heartbeat of your routine. The perfect mix can help to bring your routine to life and pump up your team.  When you submit your count sheet at the beginning of the season you envision receiving a mix so perfect that the crowd wants to know all the lyrics and wants to sing along at competition like they do for Cheer Extreme Senior Elite and Top Gun.  Having the crowd support can help to lift your team up to the next level during their performance. You want your sound effects to be big and expressive, your beats to hit hard and the lyrics to be perfect! Trust me, your producer wants this for you as well.

Hopefully, I still have your attention. Now let’s dive in and see how both you and your producer can collaborate to create the most magnificent piece of routine music that you’ve ever heard!

Do:

Use the recommended count sheet that your producer prefers.   Most production companies create and only like to work off of their own count sheet as they know it well.

Dont:

Please don’t make up your own count sheet.  I’ve seen this time and time again. Some coaches have submitted pictures of their routine sketched out on a napkin with hand drawn rows and columns

IPP count sheet on Napkin

Do:

Record your routine to an 8-count track.  You will want to have an accurate reference when filling out your 8-count sheet. Using an app like Simple8 by IPP is great way to record and save your videos!

Dont:

Avoid trying to fill out your 8-count sheet by memory or in real-time (while watching your team practice).  This will lead to an error 100% of the time.

BROWSE PREMADE MIXES

Do:

Make sure to include to the intro line when filling out your 8-count sheet.

Your producer’s count sheet should always start on 1.1 as the introduction line.  You will typically see that some producers will black out counts 1-4 (to start on 1.5) as a reminder that this is, in fact, is your opening 5,6,7 & 8

IPP FILLABLE 8 COUNT SHEET INTRO BOXES EXAMPLE 2

Regardless, if the first 8-count has any indication whether or not you should always start your first action on 2.1

Good count sheet example__2 1_2

For example, if your first section is standing tumbling then your section label would be placed on 2.1 and your actions would start somewhere on this line.  The reason for this is that your producer’s mixing software starts on 1.1 (with 1.5 being your usually 5,6,7 &8 intro). Therefore, 2.1 is the first line where he/she can start your mix.

Reaper Clock sm

Basically, what you consider the first 8-count of your mix is the second 8-count to your producer.

daw clock

Basically, what you consider the first 8-count of your mix is the second 8-count to your producer.

Dont:

Avoid skipping the intro line.  This will cause your entire mix to be off by one full 8-count leading to an edit (i.e., Reconstruction ) to be made necessary.  This may be time consuming and costly.

Do:

Note your sections on either the left/right side of the count sheet. This allows your producers to quickly understand the flow of your routine and helps to map out ideas.

Dont:

Make sure not to leave your sections blank. This can cause unnecessary guess work on the part of your producer and the mix can start to lose it’s cohesiveness.

Do:

Include your song choices on either side of the count sheet, at the bottom in the notes, on the cover page of the count sheet (where applicable) or in an email (noting which song goes with which section of the routine).

Dont:

Never leave your mix without song selections. Producers generally dislike picking songs. It can be a long process trying to find songs that they think you might like in your mix.  This leaves less time for actual mix creations. Additionally, your producer may pick something that you don’t like leading to edit which can incur a fee.

Do:

When adding action words (sound effects) to your count sheet be sure to be clear and concise.  Try to use one or two words per box to describe your actions. For example, scale, twist, double full and etc.  In addition, only use action words that are pertinent to your routine. Remember, sound effects are unique audio samples used to highlight important actions in your routine, therefore, we suggest only including sound effects that help to bring your routine to life.  If you need to add extra information about your routine as a whole or a certain section then you can provide that information at the bottom of the 8-count sheet in the “notes” section.

Good Count Sheet:

Dont:

Avoid filing each box with phrases or multiple actions. Although you think it may be helpful – it’s not. It can become hard to decipher sometimes.  Also, producers can only add one sound effects per beat in your mix so if you put multiple action words in the box it could make your mix sound like a mess.  Only include the most important action words on your 8-count sheet. Additionally, not every box needs to be filled with minor details or actions such as set, look, hold and etc.  Your producer prefers to see a clean 8-count sheet verses one cluttered with a million words. It will help to expedite the process. Trust me!

Bad Count Sheet:

Do:

Make sure that you mix starts and ends at the correct time to avoid edits and/or your mix going over the allotted time requirements. As mentioned before, your mix will need an intro.  Typically, you’ll want to start on 1.1 or 1.5. However, there can be some slight variation (e.g., 1.3 or 1.7). Just as important as making sure that your mix starts on the correct count is that it ends on the correct count.  This will avoid your mix going over time which will eliminate the chance of receiving a time violation penalty at competition. We recommend that your mix ends on the following counts to meet the different mix length time limits: 47.1 for a 2:30 mix, 42.1 for a 2:15 mix, 37.1 for a 2:00 mix and 28.1 for a 1:30 mix.  These recommendations are based on a 146 beats-per-minute (bpm) mix speed.

Dont:

Please do not go over time! This can be a hassle for both of us. Mixes that end past the recommended stop times will need to be sped up. What typically happens in these cases is that the mix becomes too fast leading to poor execution of skills. However, there are some more advanced teams that can handle this speed increase. Others can’t. Those teams that can’t handle the speed increase will come back with a Reconstruction Request (link out to p&p definition of a reconstruction in the edits section) which will require the removal of a specified amount of 8-counts. An edit of this nature will usually incur a fee – yikes!

Do:

Keep your producer’s 8-count sheet as intended.  It has been formatted the way he or she likes. If there are any special instructions then your producer will let you know ahead of time.

Dont:

Refrain from modifying your producer’s 8-count sheet.  Doing something to the count sheet unannounced may result in a mistake in production.  For example, avoid color-coding your sections. This can be distracting. Just list sections on the side as mentioned above.  The only time highlighting will be necessary is when re-submitting your 8-count sheet for an edit

I know some of this can seem confusing, but it’s really not.  We are here to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions please contact us.  We want to make your music experience as pleasant as possible. Regardless if you use IPP or not, we are willing to assist you at any point in the season.

Cheerleading 8-count sheet

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