FROM LEFT AND RIGHT Phrasing

FROM LEFT AND RIGHT

Phrasing

«Music may be described by just two words: tension -relaxation».

1. Knowing where a phrase begins and ends is of major importance. Just as an organism needs to breathe in order to remain alive, so must the composition that you are performing.

2. Theoretically, knowing where to take a breath is very difficult, but this becomes much easier by singing the piece. Do not trust phrases used by publishers, for these are often wrong.

3. A general, yet not absolute, rule, as it has its exceptions, is that a breath should be taken following notes of great value.

4. A general rule is that music, within its melodic lines, can be characterised by simply using just two words: tension and relaxation. A good observer may easily understand this characterisation when observing the mechanism by which living organisms breathe (inhalation-exhalation).

5. Generally speaking, anything repeated in music is never performed in the same way. Sometimes the repeat should sound like an echo -in which case the sound should be softer than the first time round- and sometimes it should be heard more loudly, just as if saying something to a person with hearing problems, in which case you should repeat it using a louder tone.

6. Although two notes may not be joined together with a slur, they may tend to attract each other; on the other hand, two notes may be joined with a slur, yet they might not attract each other.

7. When having to play two consecutive notes joined together with a slur (legato), try to think that no end or beginning exists for either of the two, but simply one point which marks both the end of the first and the beginning of the second note.

8. As long as you are sensitive enough to listen, music alone will tell you when and how to play something. 9. Give this piece of advice great thought: On many occasions, an imaginary breath may be better than one being heard in the melodic line.

10. A certain motif should be performed in exactly the same way as the syllables that you may use (eg. pam-pam, pa-ram-pam, pa-ram, yiam-pa-raram-pam) are sang. Two notes that must be performed in exactly the same way are defined by the same syllables (pam-pam).

11. Some have the good habit of performing having their mouth slightly open. This shows both that their music is breathing and that their performance is not fake but alive, just like a human being.

12. There are two ways for performing two joined chords. The first is to join only those notes within the chord that can be joined, whereas the second way is to hold the first chord until the last moment, lifting your fingers with an abrupt, yet unconscious movement, to play the second chord.