Phrasing

After you’ve studied a piece enough to play the correct notes and rhythms, you’ll want to start doing appropriate phrasing. Very much like the inflections we use in speech, phrasing is correctly executing how a group of notes should be “spoken”. Here are a few ideas to help you add some polish to your music.

1. Everything begins with a preparation: Every time you place your hand on the keyboard to play, the time immediately before your first note should contain a prep. There are many ways to prep, but essentially it means lifting your hand with the same tempo and character of the piece. If this makes no sense, trying breathing while you do it; the time it takes to breathe is the same amount of time you should spend raising and lowering your hand. As a roller coaster climbs to the top of the first drop and relies on that energy, your prep is emulating that energy to carry you through the phrase.

2. Sing the phrase: This is perhaps the most important tip. No matter what, ALWAYS sing your phrases out loud. This will get the music into your body and ear in a different way. Singing helps you execute your phrase because it easily identifies which notes need to be stressed, or articulated in a specific way. Try listening to famous pianist, Glenn Gould who was notorious for humming his phrases during performances and recordings (so much that it annoys some people!).

3. Look at the articulation: This simple fact shouldn’t be over sighted. If you have no opinions on how to phrase your notes, then just do what the composer wrote! Articulation is the way you attack a note (staccato, legato, tenuto).

4. Listen to recordings: BUT…only do this after you’ve done 1 -3. You need to formulate your own opinions on how to phrase before listening to someone else’s interpretation. Analyzing a professional performance is a great way to learn, but as a student you also want to spend time developing your own style of playing; listening to another’s interpretation can taint yours. So, only after researching carefully, take a listen to other’s performances to gain some phrasing insight.

Remember, even if you think you’re a bad singer, always sing the phrase!