Slowness and Note-Grouping

One of the secrets to playing fast pieces is to group notes together in larger units and to play each group slowly. Slowness is essential to control and a good musician never hurries through a piece no matter what the tempo.

The human mind cannot process information fast enough beyond a certain speed. Most good players understand this fact and to overcome the problem, they cram more micro-events into larger groups so that the basic pulse is still slow even though the effect may be one of great speed.

I call this the “Recuerdos effect.” When we hear “Recuerdos,” the tempo is generally not perceived as fast even though there are a great number of notes being executed within a single beat. The reason is because the notes are repeated notes and are blended into one smooth melodic line. The overall tempo that is being heard is that of the accompaniment, not of the 32nd notes.

To achieve the same effect in other virtuosic pieces, notes should be grouped together into larger units. This note-grouping can be done by changing a 4/4 feel to a 2/2 feel or even to a 1/1 feel. “Etude #1” by Villa Lobos is a good example of a piece which should be felt in 1/1.

I do the same for the “Allegro” from Bach’s “Prelude Fugue and Allegro” and Study #7 by Carcassi (recently added to the site). In the case of the Carcassi study, I play with a 2 feel, ie. two beats in each measure, eight 16th notes in each group and beat.

Once the notes are grouped, each note-group should be performed in one motion. In this way, what is to be performed at 120 on the metronome has suddenly been reduced to a comfortable 60 on the metronome!

Grouping notes into larger units has an added benefit too and this is the real payoff: it creates a more linear feel in the phrasing. Many inexperienced players play with an overly metrical feel in their phrasing. In their playing every beat is emphasized to the detriment of the melodic line. While the metrical approach might be suitable to dance-like music and to folk music, I believe that classical music needs a more linear approach to phrasing, one which is capable of producing more nuances and rhythmic subtlety.

In my own playing, I have always striven for a lyrical style, one which stresses the melodic line rather than the straight rhythmic pulse. Well, that’s a big topic and an article in itself.

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