Having established the basic position for the arms at the outset of a piece or section, the manner of the beat, especially in so much modern music, is more complex than it might seem. It is a fallacy to imagine that the action of the movement from one beat to the next (the action, not the pulse) sustains an even speed. Taking a metronome mark of = 40 and repeating several downbeats with an even movement it will be discovered that the action looks like pasting or painting a wall! There is no pulse definition. The action needed for the beat is one which obeys a law of physics. A bouncing ball will gradually move slower towards the peak and accelerate when falling to the ground. This describes exactly how an effective and clear beat will work. In the absence of muscular tension the weight of the arm will create a natural acceleration towards the base-line and gradually move slower towards the peak, just like the ball. At the peak the ball stops before descending by gravitational pull at a faster rate than the ascent. Exercises can be used to achieve consistency in this approach towards beating. Establish a series of graded metronome marks, beginning with the very slow pulse of 40. Raise the arm to a peak level with the nose and let it fall by its own weight. At the base, start counting from 1 to 5. Following the action of the ball, which will stop at the peak before descending, don’t allow the arm to fall until you have counted up to 5. With mm 50 perform the same exercise subdividing in 4 and descending on 4. At mm 60 subdivide in 3 and descend on 3. As the pace quickens the subdividing will be faster, so that by mm 70 the subdivision will be in a more rapid 4, descending on 4. This must be achieved without any sense of accent at the peak. A slight downward inflection of the wrist at the base will ensure safety of articulation because the players will sense the pulse in the immediate upward motion of the arm.