How to Transform a Boring Performance Into a Captivating One

PIANOCAREERACADEMY

How to Transform a Boring Performance Into a Captivating One

IN 3 CREATIVE STEPS

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PIANO PHRASING

BY ILINCA VARTIC

www.pianocareer.com

A New Perspective on Piano Phrasing by Ilinca Vartic

Second Revised Edition

Copyright © 2021 PianoCareer.com

The articles in this book are for educational purposes only.

The intent of the author is to offer information and advice that will help you understand and develop the art of piano phrasing. Nothing in this

book should be considered personalized piano practice advice. If you have questions or comments, please submit them in the comment

sections on PianoCareer.com. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author assumes no responsibility for

your actions.

http://www.pianocareer.com/

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A New Perspective on Piano Phrasing by Ilinca Vartic © Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved http://www.pianocareer.com/

FOREWORD

Piano playing doesn’t have to be a continuous struggle. It doesn’t have to be boring,

lifeless - and it certainly doesn’t have to be painful and full of stress.

Piano playing has to be a lifestyle. A lifestyle that will allow you to create, to express

yourself, to find your balance and your unique place in this world. A lifestyle that you

will truly enjoy!

There are many things - I call them magic ingredients - that can bring a spark of life and

a sense of fulfillment to your daily practice and your performances. One of them is

correct phrasing.

Unfortunately, phrasing is often neglected or misinterpreted by most piano beginners

and intermediates (and even their teachers). However, this little ingredient can make

the difference between a mechanical, raw and boring performance - and a beautiful,

meaningful and captivating one.

Piano phrasing is not difficult: things only seem difficult when we lack proper

information. Phrasing gets easy and fun once you understand the basics! That’s what I

plan to do in this eBook – reveal the basics of correct phrasing and spice up the recipe

with several secrets that will considerably simplify your practice!

For writing this book, I synthesized:

• the phrasing principles used in the Russian piano school for achieving a flowing

performance full of awareness, inspiration and musicality;

• some useful insights from the Western musical tradition;

• the experience of my wonderful piano teachers - Lia Oxinoit and Ludmila

Vaverco;

• and, of course, all the phrasing tricks and secrets that I learned the hard way

during 32 years of studying and playing piano, and 15 years of teaching.

The eBook is structured as a step-by-step guide with many examples, metaphors,

images and exercises. I hope that it will offer you a new perspective on piano playing,

show you the way to a new level of piano mastery, and - the most important thing - help

you enjoy the entire process!


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PHRASE AND PHRASING UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE

When words leave off, music begins.

~Heinrich Heine

Have you ever witnessed a 3-year-old kid reciting a poem?

Yes, he is probably really sweet - but he pronounces the words mechanically, without

understanding the meaning of each sentence. He takes breaths between lines or

whenever comfortable, not taking into account the beginning and end of each idea.

Have you noticed that the same thing happens with most piano beginners (and even

intermediate students)?

Just like poems (or other types of written and spoken text), musical works are formed of

certain thoughts and ideas - musical phrases - that together form a piece: a Sonata, an

Etude, a Prelude, a Fugue, a Nocturne and even a complex Symphony movement.

In the realm of music theory, there are many definitions of a musical phrase. These

definitions usually sound like this one: A musical phrase is a succession of notes (or even

motifs and figures) that has a complete musical sense.

For an easier understanding, we can always compare a musical phrase with a spoken or

written sentence. A sentence is a thought, an idea that is expressed via our language. A

musical phrase is also a thought or an idea - the only difference is that it’s expressed via

musical language: sound and silence, rhythm and dynamics, and an infinite variation of

pitches and timbres. However, as many poets, philosophers and musicians noticed

throughout history - the music’s power of expression goes far beyond the possibilities of

our verbal language.


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When you’re 3 years old, it’s normal to be unaware of the meaning of a certain sentence

or phrase. However, as you get older, you begin to speak with awareness, modeling

your intonation and making logical accents (or pauses) according to the meaning of the

idea you’re trying to communicate.

In musical performance, this is the essence of phrasing: it’s the ability of the performer

to express a musical phrase, to shape it, to bring it to life and transform it into a

convincing meaningful message with a clear structure (beginning, culminating point and

ending) by using the specific technical possibilities of the instrument (may it be piano,

violin or oboe).

So, in playing an instrument, phrasing is also a special technique (personally, I think of it

as an art) that allows the performer to transform the notes written in the score into

musical sentences.

Phrases are present in all kinds of music, regardless of style and genre: instrumental and

vocal, baroque and classical, romantic and impressionist, folklore and pop... even the

experimental atonal music of the XXth century has its specific phrases!

Musical phrases exist whether you can understand and express them or not.

My eBook is dedicated to the art of bringing these phrases to life in piano playing (or

the art of piano phrasing).


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SHORT INTRODUCTION: TWO LEVELS OF MUSICAL PHRASING

The ability to express a musical phrase resides simultaneously on two levels - mental

and physical.

On the mental level, phrasing is the art of visualization.

It is the capacity to see ahead of you, to imagine HOW a musical idea (phrase) should

sound before actually playing it. It also means visualizing the outline (shape) of the

phrase - knowing where it begins, where it leads (its culminating point), and where it

ends.

On the physical level, phrasing is the art of making your vision come true. It comprises

the knowledge and the skills that allow you to transfer the visualized phrase to the

instrument, so that what you imagined becomes a reality.

To make a comparison - it means thinking before you speak, and then speaking by using

the speed, intonation and attitude that best match your thoughts and your intentions!

This way, you’ll avoid saying something stupid and you’ll make sure that your thought is

delivered to the listener in a comprehensible manner. Simply put, in order to express a

thought, you have to know what to say and how to speak.

In time and with enough practice, we learn (or at least we should learn!) to do both

things simultaneously. In the end, these skills are two inseparable parts of a whole - our

ability to express ourselves. The same can be said about music!


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PIANO PHRASING - STEP 1:

ANALYZING THE PIECE: KNOW YOUR DESTINATION! OR

THE MENTAL LEVEL OF PIANO PHRASING

A Little Story: Avoid Learning a Piece the Hard Way!

Most things in life are much easier than they seem. Piano playing is not an exception.

However, we (humans) have this annoying tendency of doing things the hard way: we

complicate everything and then we complain about lack of time, excessive difficulties

and stress.

How does this relate to piano phrasing?

Before diving into the depths and particularities of phrasing, let me give you an example

- a little story that will probably sound extremely familiar:

Imagine that you have been assigned a new piece. What do you usually do? You go home (or to

a practice room), you sit at the piano, you place the score in front of you and you start reading

the piece by taking it one note at a time.

Such an approach is similar to hacking your way through an unknown jungle with a big knife,

without even knowing if you’re headed in the right direction! Yes, eventually you will find a

clearing or even the end of the jungle, but you’ll lose lots of time and effort in the process!

Avoid doing things the hard way! Playing piano is not easy, but we certainly don’t have

to make it more complicated than it is!

For a better understanding, let’s take a closer look at the usual steps of the ‘hard way’ method,

which is unfortunately still being ‘practiced’ by many piano students:

➢ Sight-reading the notes (hands separately for beginners, hands together for advanced

players). Please pay attention: I’m not saying ‘sight-reading the musical text’. The text is

a complex term that includes notes, rhythm, durations, rests, fingering, dynamics,


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articulation, character, pedal... I’m saying ‘sight-reading the notes’ - which means

figuring out where the notes are on the keyboard and ‘hitting’ them (without thinking

about all the other elements of the text).

➢ Learning the text in a mechanical manner, without thinking about its meaning: you

repeat the notes many times, until you can play them on ‘auto-pilot’ - a boring process

that feels like walking around in a dark room and trying to memorize your steps.

➢ Going to class, where the teacher has to correct all your mistakes: many wrong notes,

incorrect fingering, inaccurate rhythm... not to mention the inexistent dynamics,

articulation or sound balance!

➢ Going home and trying to correct these mistakes... which is not an easy process,

because your fingers have already memorized everything the wrong way!

➢ Fighting with your old habits, and repeating your mechanical mistakes each time your

mind wanders... then remembering to look in the score from time to time, where your

mistakes have been marked with fat red circles by your teacher…

➢ Getting tired of this frustrating process - especially when you have to learn several such

pieces for your next exam - and taking a break... which can last many days (after all,

you’re so busy!).

You lose several weeks or even months trying to figure out the text and (hopefully) the

dynamics/articulation. When you take a look at the calendar, you see that your exam is in two

weeks!!! Panicked, you start to push your way through the text even harder, attempting to

memorize it as fast as possible, so you can play it without mistakes at the exam.

The result is not hard to imagine: frustration, anxiety, headaches, hand injuries related to

incorrect practice... and the list can go on!

Does this situation sound familiar? Or, if you’re a teacher, do most of your students

suffer from this ‘piano condition’?

Of course, in such circumstances it’s difficult to talk about sound quality, musical

expression or learning the art of phrasing.

Now, let’s make things easier!

Fortunately, there is an easy way of avoiding this incorrect method of learning a piano

piece. I will give this method a simple name - “Before going to the jungle, find or draw a

map!”


https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-health/avoid-piano-injuries/

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Usually, things are even easier than that: the composer already did this job for you!

Each musical score (especially if it’s written by a great composer) is a well-structured

map: all you have to do is open your eyes (initially - with the help of your teacher) and

learn how to follow its directions! Guess what – by doing this before diving head-first

into reading the notes, you will make your life much easier!

Here’s what I mean:

If you’re a teacher, don’t tell your student to read an unknown piece without playing it

for him/her first. Even before playing, analyze the piece together: explain a few things

about the epoch, the composer and his style, about the artistic concept and message of

this particular piece, about its main characters and structure. Before sending the

student home to practice, show him/her HOW to read the piece. It’s even better to

begin reading it during the lesson, and allowing the student to continue at home. In

other words - draw a map of the musical piece!

If you’re a student (or you’re learning to play piano by yourself), don’t start reading a

piece without at least looking at it from beginning to end, and trying to understand the

main elements: message, character, tempo, rhythm, dynamics and structure! Listening

to a good recording while looking in the score is even better (especially for beginners) -

this way you’ll learn how to make direct associations between what is written and how

it sounds. After listening to a recording or to your teacher, you’ll know how this piece

should sound even before playing the first note! This will dramatically increase your

learning speed, allowing you to concentrate on important things like sound quality and

phrasing!

In case of small children, this process has to be focused on intuitive feelings rather than

rational understanding. Even though the child is not capable (yet) of understanding the

structure of a musical piece, he or she can certainly feel it and imitate the teacher’s


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playing. The teacher has to focus on developing the little pianist’s imagination by

making associations between musical ideas and the child’s environment: weather

phenomena (sunshine, rain, thunder), animals, people and so on. Imagining a story

behind the music that explains the structure of the piece is a great approach!

Analyzing a piece and understanding its message and structure is the first step toward

good phrasing!

Vertical Thinking Vs Horizontal Thinking

Are you familiar with the concepts of vertical thinking and horizontal thinking? These

two different methods of approaching and solving problems can be applied to all areas

of human life, including piano playing.

In music in general and piano playing in particular, it’s especially important to be aware

of the difference between horizontal and vertical thinking.

Both methods have their benefits in piano practice, and a good pianist must know how

to use them according to his/her needs. However, when we talk about correct

phrasing, horizontal thinking should be our priority.

When I was still studying, my piano and ensemble professors used to tell me: don’t think

vertically - think horizontally! In the Russian piano school, horizontal thinking has a

special place. It is an important skill that separates those who achieved a certain level of

mastery from those who are still taking the first steps of their ‘piano quest’.

Let’s dive a little deeper:

Thinking vertically means being ‘in the moment’ and seeking solutions according to your

present knowledge and resources.


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In playing a certain piece, this can be a positive skill (focusing on a difficult fragment and

practicing it until it sounds perfect) and also a big obstacle (playing each note or bar

without seeing where the phrase is headed, and without understanding its meaning and

structure).

The vertical approach has great results when it comes to overcoming technical

difficulties. I usually tell my students: Take this fragment, put it under the ‘magnifying

glass’ and practice it until it ‘sparkles’! Still, vertical thinking is detrimental when it

comes to phrasing: it means playing blindly, statically, hitting each note and chord as

they appear in the score without connecting them in bigger phrases; it also means

playing without the guidance of your inner hearing, without trying to feel how the

phrase unfolds and develops. It can be compared to walking (or even driving!) without

seeing the road in front of you!

Thinking horizontally means going beyond what you see or what you know, seeing

things in perspective, understanding deeper meanings, reaching new horizons, building a

bridge between the present and the future. It is also the capacity of seeing the bigger

picture despite all the difficult details that tend to catch and monopolize our attention.

In piano playing, it means imagining and hearing the entire phrase before playing it. It

also means being aware that each phrase has a certain destination, and that you need

to create an uninterrupted musical flow towards this destination. It is also the ability of

thinking ahead even while you play, so that your fingers always follow the mental image

(and not the other way around!).

Your mind must be one step (or even several steps!) ahead of your fingers! Don’t allow

them to take over - this usually ends up badly.


https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-technique/overcoming-technical-difficulties-between-stereotypes-and-holistic-tendencies-in-piano-playing/

https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-technique/overcoming-technical-difficulties-between-stereotypes-and-holistic-tendencies-in-piano-playing/

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On a side note: Metaphors and mental associations are very useful in teaching and playing

piano. Here’s an example that (I hope) will give you a better understanding of this subject:

If we compare music with water, then vertical thinking (and vertical playing) is a pond with

stale water; horizontal thinking (and playing), on the other hand, is a river that flows freely. The

river doesn’t skip or miss any details in its journey; at the same time, it knows that the ocean

awaits ahead.

How to Build a Mental Image of a New Piano Piece

It’s not possible to ‘shape’ a phrase on the piano without building a mental image of the

piece first.

1. Listen to one or several good recordings. Please don’t listen to amateur recordings

on YouTube if your purpose is to learn - life is too short for that! Learn only from the

best - from great professional pianists! Fortunately, YouTube abounds in very good

recordings as well. Also, ask your teacher to play the entire piece (or separate

fragments) each time you need to refresh your memory about how it should sound.

2. Analyze the ‘dramaturgy’* of the piece and its message: What do you think the

composer wanted to express in this piece? What are the main images, ideas and

characters? How are they evolving? Can you identify a ‘storyline’? What feelings should

this piece transmit to the audience? Is there a main idea or a conclusion? Or maybe a

deeper philosophical message?

For example, pre-classical composers (especially Bach) express transcendental values in

their works: God, the universal balance, wisdom, enlightenment, morality, compassion

and serenity; classical composers (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) gradually ‘refocus’ their

attention towards the human mind, its rationality and symmetry; the romantic era

(Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt) explores the depths and antagonisms of the human

heart - conflicting feelings, intense emotions, unattainable ideals; the impressionists

capture ‘frozen’ moments in time - an image from nature, a human temperament or a


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mythological character. [Little exercise: can you identify such images in Debussy’s or

Ravel’s works?]. This list can go on towards post-romanticism, expressionism and so on,

and I’m sure that each of you can come up with other interesting examples!

*A little explanation: In the Russian piano school, we use words such as dramaturgy or dramatic

unfolding for describing the ‘story’ behind a certain piece: the various musical

images/characters, their conflicts and development, the culminations, conclusions etc.

3. Identify each phrase. After forming a clear image of the piece as a whole, it’s time to

go a little deeper. If the piece is short (1 or 2 pages), you can simply identify each phrase

(first, with the help of your teacher, who will also explain how to identify a phrase). If

the piece is more complex (a Sonata, a polyphonic piece or even a longer romantic

work), then you need to proceed from big fragments to smaller ones until you identify

each phrase. Don’t forget that phrases, in their turn, can be made up of smaller motifs.

4. Analyze each phrase, starting from the beginning of the piece and working your way

to the end. Now that you have a clear image of the general structure, you can

concentrate on smaller details. Even the shortest phrases (comprising 1 or 2 bars) have

a certain ‘shape’ (we can also call it ‘topography’ or ‘outline’). Make sure you identify its

beginning, destination (or culminating point) and ending. You should also get a clear

feeling of the flow of the phrase.

Because it is rather difficult to explain this term - the flow of a phrase - in written words, I will

share another metaphor that will help you to understand what I mean.

Again, let’s learn from water. A river flows relentlessly and implacably: it never stops and it

never rests - not until it reaches the sea. When we watch a river, we have a feeling of constant

motion toward something: the river is headed in a certain direction, it is going somewhere! In

playing a phrase, we should have the same feeling - a constant movement toward the

culminating point, a perpetual sense of inner motion (even if the tempo is slow), a sensation

that our hearing (and our arms) are being pulled forward by a strange force of gravity, until we

reach the end of the phrase. At this point, you may ask: But how do we do this? How do we

transfer this inner feeling to the instrument? This is the topic of the next subchapter!


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Exercise

(for intermediate and advanced piano students)

Develop your score reading and imagination simultaneously! Take new scores (pieces

that you never heard before) and read them with your eyes - without the instrument.

Try to imagine, as best you can, how this music sounds. Play it in your mind, create a

convincing musical image - and then listen to the recording. Remember that imagination

and analytic abilities are extremely important for any musician!

Short Conclusion

(again, with metaphors)

A new piece is like an unexplored jungle. When you’re lost in the middle of an

unknown territory without a clear sense of direction, you stumble on each tree stump

while blindly searching for a way out. If you can’t read your map (the piano score)

properly, if you don’t have a view from above and a sense of perspective, nothing really

makes sense - it’s just a bunch of trees, bushes and dangerous creatures. You can’t see

the forest for the trees!

Phrasing is about seeing the forest, not the trees! If we go even deeper, it’s about

knowing that each individual tree belongs to a bigger structure - the forest. In music, it’s

about being aware that each individual note, chord or motif is an inseparable part of the

bigger structure - the phrase. Each phrase, in its turn, is also an inseparable part of the

whole - the piano piece.


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TECHNICAL HOW-TO GUIDE: BRINGING PHRASES TO LIFE!

OR

THE PHYSICAL LEVEL OF PIANO PHRASING

A Few Words on Intuition, Knowledge and Skills

Brilliant performers (small children included) usually phrase intuitively, without a full

understanding of HOW they do it.

Developing our intuition (you can also call it inspiration, creativity, or give it another

name that makes you comfortable) is a wonderful thing, of course. Without it, art as we

know it could not exist - it would only be a boring, lifeless science. The spark of

inspiration is another magical ingredient that separates real art from simple crafts or

kitsch.

However, good musicians do not count on intuition alone. We must know how to bring

our musical vision to life by using a specific instrument - the piano. Knowing, however, is

also not enough. We need to have the necessary technical skills that can only be

developed through regular, perseverant and tenacious practice.

Let’s take it one step at a time:


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1. Know Your Instrument (Yes, I’m serious!)

To shape a phrase on the piano, you must be aware of a unique particularity of this

instrument (I almost wrote “You have to think like a piano”): the sound starts fading

away immediately after being produced.

For this reason, the art of piano phrasing involves a special technique: creating the

illusion that the sound is maintained on the same level, even though the physical

construction of the instrument does not allow it.

As an example, let’s make a comparison with the violin. The intensity of the violin sound

can be controlled by the player: the sound can be maintained on the same level, and it

can also grow depending on how much pressure is applied to the bow.

The piano, however, is the ONLY instrument (except for percussion instruments) where

the performer cannot control the sound AFTER producing it: after pressing the key, the

sound will inevitably fade away.

There is no way to make crescendo while holding a note, or at least to maintain the

sound on the same level. Even if you press the pedal, the sound will not maintain its

initial intensity (volume) - it will only take longer to fade. That’s why piano phrasing is

much more complicated than vocal, string or wind phrasing.

On the technical level, phrasing means creating a connection between notes, making

them sound as if there are no audible gaps between them (at least if we talk about a

legato phrase). A non-legato or staccato phrase is even more difficult to shape. But,

again, let’s take it one step at a time.


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2. Learn to Control the Quality of the Sound

Musical instruments mirror our attitude towards them. The piano is not an exception.

If you hit a key carelessly, in a percussive manner, the piano will respond with a brutal,

sharp, unpleasant sound. Yes, such ‘noises’ can be used for creating different sound

effects in contemporary music or film soundtracks - but they are totally inappropriate in

playing a Nocturne by Chopin!

On the other hand, if you have a correct posture, if your arms and wrists are relaxed

and you press the key instead of hitting it (more on HOW to control the sound in my

other articles and videos), the piano will appreciate your attitude by creating a deep,

velvety and expressive sound.

Such a sound is the proper material for building or shaping a phrase. It’s not possible to

play a convincing phrase if your arms and wrists are tensed, if your key attack is random

(“I have no idea how the key will respond to my touch!”) and you cannot control the

quality of your sound.


https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-posture/correct-piano-posture/

https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-sound/the-piano-sound-and-the-technical-trap/

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3. What is Piano Intonation?

Generally, the word intonation is used in the musical world to describe the pitch

accuracy of the notes (as realized by the musician). I used to work in a symphony

orchestra, and our conductor’s ‘favorite pastime’ was criticizing the intonation of the

string and wind players :). I escaped this form of criticism, but don’t give my skills all the

credit! Because the piano is a tempered instrument, we can’t control its pitch during

playing - it’s set in advance by the piano tuner!

However, in piano playing (or at least in the Russian piano school), the word intonation

is used to describe something different: the ability to make a beautiful, smooth, almost

vocal transition (or connection) between notes.

This way, piano intonation can be successfully compared to our intonation when we

speak or sing.

My piano professor used to tell me: You’re not intoning properly! or You should intone

this interval! or Don’t forget to intone that phrase! After that, she would sing the

needed phrase or motif, asking me to imitate her intonation on the piano.

That was really frustrating!!!

At the same time, it was eye-opening - a true revelation that showed me that there’s

much more to piano playing than what the ‘hammer and string’ mechanism allows at

first glance.

In playing the piano, the most difficult thing is making it sound like the voice or the

violin (or another instrument that allows us to control the sound after it has been

produced). However, the satisfaction we feel when we manage to create such an effect

is beyond imagining!


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When we play the piano, our hands are metaphorically ‘tied’ because of the physical

limitations of the instrument. However, no one can ever ‘tie’ our spirit and our

imagination - and this is what allows us to create unbelievably beautiful phrases.

So, how do we intone on the piano?

Just like phrasing, intonation happens on two levels: mental (aural) and technical

(physical).

On a mental level, we need to pre-hear (imagine) the connection between notes before

playing them. We do this by using our inner hearing. The better we visualize the ‘vocal’

continuity of the phrase and its uninterrupted flow - the easier it will be to create this

illusion while playing.

On a technical level, the secret lies in the mobility and flexibility of our arms, wrists and

hands. At the same time, we should not forget that the entire weight of our relaxed

arms must flow freely into the depth of the keyboard. You should have the feeling that

your fingers, ‘carrying’ the weight of your entire arm, are diving into a flexible pillow

(instead of hitting a hard surface!).

The wrist, however, is the most important element when it comes to intonation.

If you need to play several legato notes, for example G-C-E-D-C,

you should avoid keeping your wrist immobile, ‘locked’ in one position (yes, even when

the notes literally ‘fit’ under your palm and you don’t have to move your hand for

reaching them).


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In order to shape a phrase out of the above-mentioned notes, you must intone them in

your mind first (as I mentioned above). Then, in the playing process, your wrist has to

move in the direction of the melody, anticipating each note.

After pressing G (from my example above), your wrist should move slightly to the right

(in a relaxed and flexible manner!) towards the next note (C) - preceding the actual

pressing of the key! After you play C, your wrist moves towards E, as if showing your

finger the way.

The bigger the interval between notes - the higher the necessity of ‘softening’ it with

the help of intonation. You have to feel how the weight of the arm is flowingly

transferred from the played note to the one about to be played.

This technique can also be described as drawing the shape of the melody with the

wrist. At the same time, don’t forget that if you play legato, the finger that’s pressing

the key should ‘remain in position’ until another finger presses the next key - only the

wrist is moving, making the transition! It’s like your arm is ‘pivoting’ on your fingertip.

This technique creates an unbelievable, almost magical effect: the intoned intervals

sound as if the notes are effortlessly flowing from one into the other, without any gaps -

it feels like pouring water from one glass into another. By mastering this technique,

you’ll be able to make the piano sing!

_____

Update: if you want to learn more about piano intonation, I recommend watching my

free video tutorial on this topic: The Piano Intoning Technique and the Illusion of

Legato.


https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-expression/piano-intoning-technique/

https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-expression/piano-intoning-technique/

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4. Manipulating the Sound Intensity

Besides controlling our sound quality and intoning the intervals between notes, there is

another important element that helps us to shape a piano phrase: sound intensity (or,

in simple words - how loudly or softly we play the notes that form the phrase).

Again, this necessity arises from the only ‘annoying’ characteristic of the piano: it’s

impossible to maintain the sound intensity on the same level.

The SUREST way to KILL a phrase on the piano is to play all the notes with the same

sound intensity!

For a better understanding of this phenomenon, let’s make another violin comparison.

As you already know, the violin sound can be maintained on the same level. If the

performer plays all the notes equally (with the same intensity), the phrase will still

sound nicely (even if it lacks musicality and there is no feeling of movement towards the

culminating point).

Here is a graphic that I just drew, illustrating how the same notes (G-C-E-D-C) will ‘look’

if played on the violin, with the same sound intensity:

Phrase played on the violin (or cello, or oboe etc.)

There are still some minor oscillations between notes (due to vibrato and micro-

variations in bow pressure), but they are insignificant.


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If we do the same thing on the piano, we achieve a percussive pattern with a linear,

static character - a collection of separate ‘hammering’ notes that lack connection,

perspective of development and feeling of movement (which are all needed for good

phrasing). Such patterns (which are common for beginners) are far from being phrases.

Here is what I mean:

Same notes played on the piano

After being played, each note gradually fades away. When the next note is played

(especially if the tempo is slow), it will sound LOUDER than the previous note! In reality,

all notes have the same intensity, but we have the feeling that each note is louder than

the previous one. Because of this, the phrase sounds like a drumbeat - instead of a

flowing, expressive melody.

What’s the solution, then?

You must know HOW to manipulate the sound intensity to create the illusion that

there are no audible gaps between notes!

There are two main ways of playing this phrase. In the first version, we’ll choose E as our

culminating point (we can also call it destination or gravity point). While playing the

phrase, on a mental level, you should have the feeling that you’re moving towards and

then from this culminating point. The phrase will look like this:


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Here is an approximate graph of sound intensity:

Yes, C and E are louder than G - but because we make a slight crescendo while playing

them, the melody is not static anymore. Quite the opposite - such an approach creates

the illusion of motion and continuity.

From E to the last note (C) we have another convincing illusion: these notes sound as a

continuous line (which, as you already know, is physically impossible on the piano!). This

illusion exists because the intensity level of each note matches the fading level of the

previous note. In other words, D is as loud as the fading E - sounding as a continuation of

the previous note!

This way of playing a phrase - with a gradually fading ending - is the most common in

classical music. It gives a certain ‘roundness’ and ‘elegance’ to each musical idea, making

it sound as a well-polished diamond.

In the second version, we choose the last C as our culmination or destination:


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Here we don’t have a diminuendo at the end of the phrase to ‘make our life easier’. Still,

the gradual crescendo towards the culminating point has the power to create the

illusion of movement and continuity.

Besides these two versions, you can invent many others! It all depends on your

imagination (and, of course, on the specific expressive tasks indicated by the composer).

Another tip: you can also imagine that you play the entire phrase on a single breath.

You inhale, and then you play the phrase on one long exhalation. When the phrase

ends, you inhale again. In piano playing, this is an imaginary technique. In singing or

playing a wind instrument, however, this is a reality!

WARNING: when playing a legato phrase (especially a long one), any unexpected and

unwanted accents (which can happen if the pianist can’t yet control the sound intensity)

will surely ‘kill’ it as well! The transition between notes must be as SMOOTH as possible!


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5. A Few Words on Articulation

Many piano students think that articulation (legato, non-legato, staccato, sforzando

etc.) is the most important thing when it comes to shaping a phrase. They also think that

they can identify and express musical phrases by only following the articulation marks

(or musical punctuation).

This is not true.

Articulation is not a purpose in piano phrasing - it’s just a means to an end!

The purpose is to understand, feel and transmit the meaning hidden behind articulation

(and other elements of musical notation). Musical notation is just a helpful tool that

facilitates the technical expression of the musical idea!

Yes, articulation marks can often show us where the phrase begins and where it ends

(especially in easy pieces). The melody I invented (G-C-E-D-C) is a good example: it’s a

short legato phrase where the end of the slur matches the end of the musical idea.

However, things are rarely so simple.

Usually, the end of a slur doesn’t mean that the phrase has ended. Here is an example

from Chopin’s Nocturne op. 9 Nr. 1:


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This phrase is much more complex than my basic melody. It is formed of several motifs,

and its articulation is constantly changing: the initial legato naturally transforms into

non-legato (because we cannot make legato between several notes of the same pitch -

in this case F); then two more slurs mark the last two small motifs of the phrase.

Chopin’s articulation and his dynamic indications have a clear purpose: they show us

HOW to make the phrase sound as a continuous flowing whole!

I could write many pages about Chopin and his unique poetic approach to piano playing

- but this is the topic for another article or video!

Since I already opened Chopin’s Nocturnes (which I really love!), let’s take a look at

another example, even more fascinating than the first one:


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Now this is one long phrase! Playing it on a single mental breath, by creating a

continuous, uninterrupted line, is definitely a challenge!

Here you can also see that articulation marks do not indicate where the phrase begins

and where it ends. Only our musical understanding can show us the real ‘boundaries’ of

this phrase. All the elements of musical punctuation (many short slurs cleverly combined

with 3 different types of accents) simply show us how to intone the small motifs and

how to manipulate the sound intensity so that we can shape a convincing, expressive

phrase with a well-defined outline!

So don’t allow the end of a slur to stop the feeling of motion in your mind (unless it

coincides with the actual end of the phrase!). The fact that your hand rises above the

keyboard between notes (for example, if you have a few non-legato or staccato notes)

does not mean that the phrase has ended. The bond between these physically

separated notes should be present in your imagination, keeping them ‘connected’ until

you reach the real end of the phrase (and not the end of a secondary slur!). Let your

horizontal thinking guide you in such cases!

Your mind has to go on (please excuse the pun) and fly above articulation marks, bar

lines and other elements of the musical text.

The slur is just another tree in the forest! Look at the entire forest first, and only then

figure out how that particular tree belongs to the bigger structure.

Please allow me to summarize: Our purpose is not to express articulation marks. Our

purpose is to express the meaning of the phrase BY USING articulation marks and

other elements of the musical text.

I will make another comparison: developing a brilliant technique is not our purpose. A

pianist’s purpose is to unlock his/her unique potential in a fulfilling and harmonious


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way, at the same time bringing joy and inspiration to the audience! His/her purpose is

also to bring beautiful piano masterpieces to life, and to express all the ideas encoded in

these pieces by the composers. Piano technique (or violin technique etc.) is only a

MEANS to this end.

Short Conclusion

Seeing or hearing a musical phrase in your mind is not enough. For bringing it to life, you

need to master these ‘magical’ technical elements:

• Controlling the quality of the sound: instead of hammering on the piano, you

should press the keys as if your fingers were ‘sinking’ into an elastic surface. Your

arms/wrists should be as flexible as a cat’s paws!

• Intoning the notes of the phrase (especially if we have legato) so that they flow

effortlessly from one into another; softening the transition between notes!

• Moving towards the ‘target’ note by cleverly manipulating the sound intensity.

• Following articulation marks (and other elements of the musical text) mindfully,

because you understand how they can help you make the phrase more

convincing. Avoid a mechanical and blind execution of the symbols from the

score!

• Playing with relaxed, flowing movements (more about this aspect in the next

chapter).

Do my terms seem too ‘funky’ sometimes? It’s because I try to express the

physical/aural sensations I have while playing the piano with plain written words. For

this purpose, ‘elegant’ and ‘academic’ musical terms are not always enough - so I like to

use many metaphors ‘borrowed’ from science, nature, martial arts, movies with secret

agents and so on. PIANO PLAYING HAS TO BE FUN TOO!!!


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However, this is not the only purpose of these ‘technical’ details: if you want to reach a

high level of mastery in piano playing, you have to KNOW all these secrets - otherwise

you’ll simply wander around blindly, being superstitious and hoping for good luck. A

good musician cannot afford such an approach! Besides delivering random results, it will

also make you resent your practice, and your piano experience will become far less

enjoyable than it should be.

The next step is a simple one: practice! By practicing mindfully, we can assimilate these

techniques very well, so that in time (after a year or two of consistent training) we won’t

even have to think about them! Shaping a beautiful phrase will become as natural as

breathing.


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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

Mental and technical relaxation as a result of mindful practice

Let’s face it: piano playing is not a comfortable activity. Human hands were not created

for playing the piano. It’s the other way around - the piano keyboard was adapted to the

functionality of our arms and hands.

Playing a flowing phrase can be the most awkward and uncomfortable thing in the

world – we’ve all been there! There are so many things to coordinate: posture and

correct alignment, arm and wrist relaxation, wrist mobility, sound intensity, mental

image of the phrase, dynamics, the pedal ... and the list can go on! It’s no wonder that

many beginners are so tensed when they play - especially if their teachers forget to tell

them that relaxation and freedom of movement should be their priority (being more

important than technique, correct fingering and exact notes).

The good news is that there are no limits to what we (humans) can achieve! There is a

saying among musicians: Through countless repetitions, all uncomfortable things

become comfortable! I really like the way this saying sounds in Russian: Методом

многочисленных повторений, все неудобное становится удобным!

Yes, relaxation, confidence and freedom can only be achieved through regular practice -

by repeating something until ‘it becomes comfortable’.

While this is true, I will make an addition to this ‘inspired’ quote: by repeating

something mechanically, without awareness and a clear purpose, we can often make

things worse!


https://www.pianocareer.com/holistic-piano-playing/freedom-the-fundament-of-the-pianistic-art/

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So, beware of mechanical practice: one hour of mindful practice is much more

productive than three hours of mechanical, tensed playing.

Practice with awareness! Being mindful means being in the present moment and

focusing on the task at hand. Don’t allow your thoughts to wander when you play: don’t

think about food, money problems, clothes, TV shows, beer, the neighbor’s cat, football

or a new hair color! Declutter your mind of daily worries and all the things that don’t

belong in the piece you’re trying to learn. Concentrate - this will save you lots of time

and effort, and you’ll avoid many unnecessary frustrations! Then, when you get tired,

simply take a break. Instead of thinking about food while you play, go eat something! Or

go outside! Or watch that match!

After a short relaxing break, simply resume your practice. And don’t forget to enjoy the

whole process! Otherwise, what’s the purpose of all your efforts?

As I already wrote in some of my other articles, our attitude is always reflected in the

results of our work. A calm, confident and positive attitude will greatly increase your

productivity! Mindful practice will also boost your self-confidence - after all, we become

what we think about.

On the other hand, a practice session full of stress, anxiety and fear (you may be

dreading the approaching exam, or simply worried about the future) will result in even

more stress and fear! In such cases, the pianist may think that he/she is stupid and not

talented, when in fact he or she is simply not practicing with a correct attitude. Yes, it’s

as simple as that!

Don’t practice the piano while ‘carrying’ negative emotions – this is a lesson I learned

the hard way.

Now let’s get back to phrasing .


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If you want to do something well (including playing a convincing phrase) you have to be

relaxed.

Good phrasing means playing a phrase flowingly, naturally, without tension and without

stumbling on technical difficulties. The more relaxed you are when you practice or

perform, the better your phrasing will be! Any strain acts like a river dam – it stops the

water flow! Similarly, a tensed shoulder, elbow or wrist (or an awkward movement) will

stop your energy from flowing naturally, ‘chopping’ the phrase and literally ‘killing’ it!

In simple words – tension kills! A tensed performance is like a dead body - it’s lifeless!

In piano playing, mental and technical relaxation comes as a result of two main factors:

awareness (when you practice, always make sure that your mind and your body are

relaxed) and regular practice.

In martial arts, there is a saying: I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once,

but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times (Bruce Lee).

During my studying years, I would sometimes take one phrase and practice it for 5-6

hours - until it would become a part of me, and I could feel my hands shaping it

naturally, without effort or tension.

In all arts - whether we talk about piano playing, dance, painting or martial arts - there

comes a moment when quantity transforms into quality. At this point, you will feel that

what you do is a part of you, and that your hands (body, legs etc. - depending on the art)

can literally fly without any strain (or that clumsy awkwardness experienced by all

beginners).

When that time comes, you’ll achieve a state of true relaxation and you’ll begin to feel

that piano playing is indeed a comfortable activity. People listening to you will sense this

as well, thinking: “He/she makes it look so easy!”


https://www.pianocareer.com/piano-performance/the-pianistic-gesture-and-the-dramatic-content-of-the-music/

31


However, don’t think that this state can only be achieved after many years of hard work.

Things are relative. If you’re a beginner learning an easy piece (for example Petzold's

Minuet in G Minor, featured in our Course for Beginners at PianoCareerAcademy.com) -

you can easily achieve a good mental/technical relaxation (appropriate for this piece) in

only 2-3 weeks of practice! A beginner can master the art of phrasing (suitable for the

simple piece he is learning) as well as a professional pianist: Petzold’s little Minuet can

sound as convincing as Beethoven’s challenging Sonata op. 106 (played by a concert

pianist)!

Life is too short for doing things we don’t enjoy. Mastering a certain art (piano playing

in general, or piano phrasing in particular), becomes a natural and easy experience if

you enjoy what you do!

With a positive mindset and love for music, each practice session will become a true

meditation:

It will offer you a new perspective on music and life.

It will bring you fulfillment.

It will liberate your mind.


https://pianocareeracademy.com/

32


Your Next Steps...

1. Do you feel stuck in your practice, and can’t seem to make progress no matter how

hard you try? You might be the victim of one (or several) sneaky piano myths! Learn

more by watching my free video series entitled The 7 Most Dangerous Piano Myths -

Debunked!

2. Stay tuned! I post new free articles and videos on a regular basis. For frequent

updates (and massive doses of piano motivation!), you can also subscribe to my

YouTube channel, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

3. Are you ready to take your piano skills to a whole new level of mastery? If you enjoy

my free content, you will LOVE the detailed lessons and step-by-step Courses available

in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com! Once you join our program, you

will have instant access to more than 1,000 tutorials where I share the professional

secrets of the Russian piano school via my holistic approach to piano playing and

lifestyle.

Update: on PianoCareerAcademy.com you can also find detailed video tutorials focused on the art of phrasing.

You can watch my video demonstrations of all the ideas covered in this book - and much much more!

The ‘Why’ Behind my Online Teaching:

I created my free piano blog (and published my first article) back in 2010. My purpose

was simple: to help pianists of all ages and skill levels to find joy, balance and fulfillment

in their piano practice.

My own journey was not easy: after 20 years of intense and very challenging piano

studies, I was ready for a complete change of perspective.

Yes, piano playing is a complex art. Yes, it takes many years of practice to achieve great

results. However, this entire process can be fun, enriching and extremely fulfilling!


https://www.pianocareer.com/7-dangerous-piano-myths/

https://www.pianocareer.com/7-dangerous-piano-myths/

https://www.youtube.com/pianocareer

https://www.facebook.com/PianoCareer

https://twitter.com/pianocareer

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilinca-vartic/

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In my tutorials, the East and the West form a harmonious symbiosis:

• on one hand, you have the unique opportunity to go ‘behind the curtain’ and

discover the secrets of the Russian piano school from the comfort of your own

home;

• on the other hand, I make this professional-level information easily accessible

and fun!

Therefore, ‘fun’ doesn’t have to be a synonym of ‘shallow’… and ‘premium quality’

doesn’t have to be boring or too difficult!

Nowadays, piano players tend to fall into two different traps:

Professional students perceive their practice as a continuous struggle full of stress,

doubts and unanswered questions. This happens because modern piano pedagogy has a

unilateral approach: teachers focus on piano achievements, rarely considering how the

endless hours of practice affect the student’s health, emotional balance and happiness.

Amateur and self-taught students, on the other hand, do not have access to correct

information. They perceive piano playing as a ‘note-typing’ activity. They play in a

tensed manner, with stiff arms and wrists - and they have no idea how to produce a

beautiful sound, or how to play expressively. The unhealthy technique usually results in

hand injuries. The shallow ‘note-only’ approach leads to lack of progress and

disappointment.

In other words, professionals play well - but they rarely have fun, and they pay a high

price for their achievements (stress, exhaustion, health issues and loneliness). Amateurs

have lots of fun… until they are forced to quit because of hand injuries, poor playing and

endless frustration.


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Both approaches are incomplete - because they are the two sides of the same coin.

Professionals need to learn how to balance their practice and avoid destructive stress.

Amateurs deserve to have access to expert piano guidance!

Therefore, only a holistic approach to piano playing can make our practice truly

rewarding, meaningful and liberating.

During many years of extremely demanding piano challenges, I learned lots of eye-

opening lessons - but I did it the hard way.

You don’t need to repeat my mistakes. You can learn from them instead!

In my tutorials, I share things that you will not find in official piano method books and

courses. My 30+ years of piano experience are ‘at your fingertips’ - structured in an

accessible step-by-step manner.

It took me years to figure out many of the secrets that you can learn in minutes.

If applied correctly, these secrets will help you to save precious time and effort, making

the difference between a frustrating practice - and a productive, enjoyable and fulfilling

one.

See you on PianoCareerAcademy.com!


https://www.pianocareeracademy.com/

How to Transform a Boring Performance Into a Captivating One

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