Many teachers teach phrasing in terms of dynamic levels.

Their standard dynamic model of a phrase is that of an arch like shape with a peak at the high point of the phrase.

To me, that’s focusing on the effect rather than the underlying process.

And that process is energy.

Every phrase is a burst of energy and the art of phrasing is in how we control this energy and how we resolve it.

So instead of thinking in terms of loud or soft, think in terms of energy and release of energy.

Because musical phrases are mostly derived from speech patterns, phrasing is closely aligned with our breathing.

There’re two distinct phases in breathing.

When we inhale, that’s the effort phase, and when we exhale, that’s the release phase.

In the same way, every phrase has two phases, the effort phase and the release phase.

As we initiate a phrase, we exert energy which results in a natural swell in dynamic level. This dynamic level rises as we drive the phrase forward to peak at the high point of the phrase.

And then on the other side of the high point, we release all that energy which results in a natural fall in dynamic level.

So yes, there is a rise and fall in dynamics when we phrase, but that rise and fall is a result of the rise and fall in energy level, and not a goal in itself.

The important thing to note is that the resolution phase should be a complete letting go.

Just as there’s no effort in exhalation, there should be no effort in the resolution of the phrase.

Think of rolling some round object up an incline and then letting it roll down the other side.

There’s no effort involved in the rolling down of that object down that incline.

This is perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from Leo Brouwer.

When he plays, there’s always a clear distinction between the effort phase of the phrase and the resolution.

You never hear him pushing through a resolution.

The endings of his phrases are always played exquisitely and effortlessly.

Other instrumentalists do this too but there’s nothing quite like hearing someone do it on the actual instrument you play.

Posted on Friday, May 12th, 2023 at 12:28 pm under AOV, AOVguitar, creativity, HTBE. Follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.