Adding Musiciality to a piece

[chauncey]

Hello everyone...

I'm pretty new to the forum by the way. I just want to know if any of you have any tips when it comes to musicality. I've read that for pianist, most of our musicality comes from dynamics, is that true? I ask this because I've learned how to play George Gershwin's Prelude no. 1 and now I am wondering how I add musicality.

Does anyone have any tips on musicality in general? On how to "feel" the music piece?

Cheers.

[cmg]

Chauncey, yes, dynamics, the arch of a phrase, the way we pull sound from the keys, or sharply attack them, etc. all enter into what you describe as "musicality."

Try this:  listen to your favorite vocalists.  Sing along with the best of them.  Pay attention to what they do with the tune -- stretching notes, compressing them, all in the service of being expressive.  That's musicality:  expressiveness and great singers are the best exponents.  Do this, then sing the Gershwin tune aloud.  Make it move you.  Copy that feeling to the piano. 

[chauncey]

hmm, I see. Thanks! I'll try that in the future. I wasn't too sure of I should have messed with the dynamics or not. It makes sense now. Singing the melody would help a lot, never thought of that..

[nyiregyhazi]

Hello everyone...

I'm pretty new to the forum by the way. I just want to know if any of you have any tips when it comes to musicality. I've read that for pianist, most of our musicality comes from dynamics, is that true? I ask this because I've learned how to play George Gershwin's Prelude no. 1 and now I am wondering how I add musicality.

Does anyone have any tips on musicality in general? On how to "feel" the music piece?

Cheers.

To be honest, if you have to ask, a few sentences are unlikely to reveal anything much. Go and listen to some good performers and see what they do. Some people frown upon this approach, but there's no better way to get started.  Above all, everything is in a context. You can't exactly "add" musicality, unless you have an idea of what just sounds good and what doesn't. Either you feel it or you don't. That's not to say it can't be learned or developed but, if you don't already have an idea of what makes for a musical line, the written word is about the worst starting point. You need to start by hearing musical shaping from great musicians and then consider what they are doing and why. Get a feel for what is musical first and analyse later.

[chidzuyo]

yap, i think the best way too learn musicality is to listen and observe good performances.

I think this guy has great musicality and showmanship.

[autodidact]

yap, i think the best way too learn musicality is to listen and observe good performances.

I think this guy has great musicality and showmanship.

That guy is great; I'm learning his Harry Potter arrangement right now! 

[geoffives]

All great answers.  I especially like the last chord on that Pirates video. I'm going to work on it...  I think by just seeking an answer on musicality you are on your way to understanding it, and its a life long journey.  I've noticed that sometimes, when my wife talks to me about some issue while I continue to play, I'm listening to her and still playing, I find my playing actually improves. That while my "left brain" is engaged with my wife, my "right brain" is allowed to be more expressive. So I look for moments like that in my playing, and try to learn how to engage and disengage expressiveness.  One of my teachers quotes Schnabel who said, paraphrasing, you learn musical expression through life, not at the keyboard. So this too should be considered, that expression of sadness and joy are life experiences that we can bring to music. Also, you help youself gain musicality by knowing the piece(s) well, by having developed the tools of the trade through practice that free you from the need to wrestle with a piece and allow you the freedom to express. And, playing pieces with obvious dynamic shifts and speed changes might help you learn the subtle art for applications in more difficult musical terrain.  For instance, a Strauss Waltz has obvious speed dynamics - the Viennese lilt(?) I think its called - where gradual slowing of tempo can be a very effective way to engage the listener.

[jgallag]

For listening, look up any of these pianists (to start):

Vladimir Horowitz
Artur Rubinstein
Dinu Lipatti
Emil Gilels
Sviatoslav Richter

I also quite enjoy the playing of Martha Argerich, Alicia de Larrocha, and Marc-Andre Hamelin as well. Try listening with and without scores, and enjoy it. These are some of the top pianists of our time, and it's good to get to know them. Listen to where they linger and where they move ahead, and for their gradation in dynamics and articulation and pedaling.

The best way to add musicality, though, is to study with a teacher who understands musicality. There are the basic markings in the score, and then more subtle aspects of timing to be learned as well.

[teosoleil]

My opinion is that nobody can teach you to follow musicality.

Of course, you can be taught dynamics and how to follow dynamics, etc., but to truly "feel" a piece? Nobody can teach you that. However, the moment when you do "feel" a piece feels like ecstasy in my opinion. The reason why a lot of musicians hate their instrument (especially at a young age) is because they do not feel the music and live/breath with it in that thrill of truly feeling a piece and having your heart pump and your blood rush.

[mcdiddy1]

When we talk about musicality, I think we are really talking about expression in music. I am with the believe any student can be taught to have expression. Feelings of pain, sorry and happiness are universal feelings of humanity. We do not need to be taught how to feel these emotions they come with the territory of being in a world filled with triumphs and disappointments. The difficulty comes from being able to make the connections come across in music.

For me being musical means taking in account a variety of sources of information such as the historical history of the piece, the period it was conceived in, dynamics, phrasing, character marking. Once you have that you must have the technique to excute the music on the instrument or it will not matter what you know or feel. When the student can connect to the piece, execute a variety of skills on the piano, and brings some historical and musical understand ( usually taught by a teacher) then any person can be musical at the piano. I feel is anyone of these things are not present then you hear a sort of musical ignorance at playing, not that this person has no expression or musicality.

[keyboardkat]

Musicality is not something that you "add to" a piece.   You should practice musically from the outset.   Otherwise, it's just Czerny.

Try to think of music as a metaphor for human speech.   That should give you some idea.  Look for musical "sentences," "questions and answers" (otherwise known as antecedent and consequent phrases).   Also look for places where a motive or theme in one voice is later quoted in a different voice, such as a motive in the treble appearing later on in the bass.
Analyzing a piece this way could help a lot.

[chauncey]

Musicality is not something that you "add to" a piece.   You should practice musically from the outset.   Otherwise, it's just Czerny.

I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure I agree on that. I think its something you add to a piece. For an example, one can play an Chopin Valse or nocturne flawlessly, but without adding that "extra"(musicality) the piece would just seem to strict to the tempo or to strict in general. But I understand your explanation, good point.

[keyboardkat]

If it's played unmusically, it's usually because it was practiced that way.   You learn what you practice.  
Leonid Hambro listened to Horowitz practice from outside the house once.   He was practicing a passage that ran up and down the keyboard.   Horowitz kept repeating it - trying out different pedaling, different dynamics, different balance between the hands, different shadings - Hambro lost count at 97 times!   But he was practicing to find the best musical effect for the passage, not mindlessly repeating the same thing for "technical" practice.

It also shows how hard Horowitz worked to become the great pianist he was.   He was willing to pay the dues.

[j_menz]

I don't think you "add" musicality to a piece, you find it in it; it's the difference between playing the music and just playing the notes.

Does anyone have any tips on musicality in general? On how to "feel" the music piece?

On this bit: Live, Love and Listen.  Also practice.