Time waits for no one...or does it?
By Tyler Song
One of the most personal things we can impart onto a performance is no doubt the way we give and take time within a piece. Musical rubato can help us reach the audience on a far more expressive level than playing the music strictly in tempo, but beware! Too much or unnaturally implemented rubato can not only be counterproductive, but can almost cause the audience to feel seasick from listening.
All the way back in high school during a coaching of Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes, our music teacher Mr. Robert Goddard listened to us stumble through a run through of the piece. In his typical whimsical fashion, he looked at me and said: “Tyler, in order to take time, you must first HAVE time.”
That humorous comment has stuck with me for nearly 10 years now, as before we attempt to implement any musical rubato we have to be certain that our internal pulse and understanding of the rhythm is absolutely correct. This forms the foundation for taking time in a way that is not only convincing, but stable and respects the flow of the music!
So when do we take time?
Most times the music will tell you! Once you’ve mastered the notes and rhythms on the page, play through it without the aid of a metronome and pay attention to melodic motion, harmonies, and other parts if present. Hear and notice where and how the music wants to push and pull and then experiment with implementing rubato in those sections one by one.
Here I would love to discuss an aspect of rubato that I tend to find instrumentalists such as ourselves struggle with. At risk of contradicting myself, sometimes we CAN break out of the flow of the music for expressive purposes. While this doesn’t happen too often, when I do so I often do not give back the time I take. On paper this may seem like I’m breaking the cardinal rule of “having time” but there are a few things we can do to ensure the rhythmic structure remains intact.
- Sing the phrase: If you’ve ever attended an opera, you will quickly realize that singers often do not return the time they take. This is often due to the vocality of their musical phrases. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to ensure our rubato is natural is by singing it. If it feels natural to sing, chances are it sounds natural too!
- Subdivide, subdivide, subdivide: Just because you’re taking time, doesn’t mean time is taking a break!! The internal subdivisions of each note should still be felt within the ebb and flow of your expressive phrasing.
- Confidence matters: Finally, be convincing with your interpretation! The audience is sensitive to your confidence, and if you perform with certainty of your musical choices the audience will surely feel the same.
As always, Happy Practising!
