Musicality, expressiveness – looking for vocabulary

[stefo78]

Sometimes, I would like to put words of expressions above the different musical phrases of the piano piece. I realize that I have great difficulties to find the right words, the right vocabulary to help me remember and visualize what do to, and how to play. In fact, I’m unable to put precise words on my feelings when I’m listening to music (going further than joyfull, sad, and rather basic feelings)

I’m thinking that without the proper words, even if we have a little idea in mind of what the expression should be, we can’t play the right expression. Somewhat, I would say we must have words to put a precise expression in the play. Without words, things will not be precise and the interpretation will lack of expression.

I hope I am clear and that people can discuss this point of view. Maybe it's a completely useless idea or way to work.

I think this can be extended to images and scenes, an easy example could be the little dog of Chopin minute waltz, and I’ve heard things like “to be played like the fingers of the cat”, “the flurry, the wind in a dense wood”, “on the tip of the tongue” or “that’s a sunny day”, “you’re below the full moon”, “after the storm”…

So, as I have difficulties to find these words or these images, how can this be helped ? I’m thinking about some kind of vocabulary database, a bag of words which could help me to find the right ones into. But could it be infinite and impossible ? Or take some real time to find the words and the images for a piece I would like to work on, before working on it ? Any other suggestions ?

So, how far are you concerned by this topic ? What are your words, your images, your expression feelings, in the pieces you’re working on ? What are those words which help you play the way you want ?

Joyfully, Dynamic, Funny, With suffering, Singing, Dancing, With sorrow, Nostalgic, Weighing, Agitated, Like a cat, Dreaming...

 

 

[dima_76557]

Musicality, expressiveness – looking for vocabulary

I don't think the problem is really with the words as such. Some moods and feelings can be very hard to define with one single word, but can be expressed with music, paintings, etc. It's not so much the labeling that counts, but mostly recognizing and reproducing at will.

Also, to communicate a feeling, one should not be involved too much in the feeling itself at the time of performance, otherwise one may be misunderstood. Instead, one should know how to communicate such a message and communicate it with certain means that work well for the purpose without losing control over the situation.

P.S.: A vocabulary with words in English (if that is what you are looking for) that express different emotions is here: Vocabulary of Emotions (.pdf document).

[bronnestam]

It's funny, maybe, but the deeper I go into a certain music piece, the LESS I seem to rely on images, feelings etcetera. My deepest and most profound musical experiences have been where I sunk into some kind of a trance where I were in some kind of white fog, without my ego and my memories, without any sense of time passing by. I was in a universe consisting of just tunes.

Most of the times this happened were, of course    , while I listened to a world class musician doing his/her best ... but it HAS happened also during my own piano playing. One of the pieces I have practiced most is Clair de lune ... I know you are supposed to think of a beautiful full moon there, and I used to do that at first, thinking "moonshine ... moonshine ... silver night ..." blah blah, and somehow trying to paint the picture of the moon with the help of the keys on the piano.

Later on, when I could play the piece better, I got tired of thinking of the moon. I don't know what I'm thinking anymore, actually I don't think at all - I just feel ... there are some parts of this piece, in particular the very last tune, where I just feel something almost painful inside - as if the piano strings where inside of me, as if they are my own nerves, and the vibration of a certain string starts a physical reaction in me. When the sound from the piano is EXACTLY what I had in mind right before I pressed the key.

My teacher likes to ask me questions like "what do you feel when you play this?" and I struggle to give the emotion some name ... I can say things like "this is about sad love" or "I sense humour in this piece, that chord is like a cheerful wink, that bass line feels like the composer wanted to be funny". (Beethoven! Oh, Beethoven!)

English is not my first language (as you might have noticed). I find it relaxing to listen at songs with English lyrics, because then I can "disconnect" from the understanding of the words and just listen to the music and the singer's voice. I find it distracting to interpret lyrics while I listen to music, that is another art, like reading poetry. As a writer, I use words as a tool, and when I deal with music I want to do something else, use another part of my brain, so to speak ...

So, I don't like to let music describe anything in words to me!