Deep Listening

Consider:

1. Notes
2. Dynamics
3. Articulations
4. Tempi
5. Balance
6. Cadences and phrasing

 
The ability to discriminate these individual elements will help you play more expressively.

Here is an exercise:
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1. Find a quiet space
2. Headset
3. Score
4. Pencil
5. Professional performance
6. 1st run through, just listen
7. 2nd run through, note the dynamics. Pay attention of the melodic direction and dynamic changes. Does the music get louder when the melody rises? And, vice versa? What happens to dynamics at the cadence?
8. 3rd run through, note the articulations: legato, staccato, detached, accents of various types.
9. 4th run through, note the relationship to tempi changes to phrasing and sections. Does it speed up or down? Is there a pause between major sections?
10. 5th run through, notice the relative loudness between the melody and accompaniment.

 
Happy listening.
 
David

Beethoven's messy scores. Wow!