"Music in Time: We Got Rhythm!" with Antonella

Rhythm is one of the most important elements in music and yet we tend to overlook it when practicing any particular piece of music. When we listen to music, our ears perceive sounds distributed in time and a movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements.

 

Besides reading the rhythmic values correctly, have you ever thought about how music is organized in time? How does a meter shape an entire composition? And how can you use the rhythmic and metric organization in the music in your performances?

 

In this Livestream, we will first investigate the distinction between rhythmic grouping and musical meter and the features of musical timing at different timescales. we will learn how to analyze rhythm and meter as part of your practice routine.

      

Find the start time in your time zone by clicking the photo or following this event link:      

 

https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/we-got-rhythm-antonella

       

       

We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestionsandquestions!                                                                                

  • What questions do you have on this topic?
  • Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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    • Jackie
    • Jackie
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    When I try to improvise, my sense of rhythm goes down the drain. How can I fix this?

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    • Jackie I think that we should always keep in mind a sort of meter or overarching hypermeter.

      look at the jazz musicians, for instance.

      The meter remains unchanged while they improvise.

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      • Jackie
      • Jackie
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Antonella Di Giulio I know. I just get lost. 

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    • Jackie maybe it would be helpful to have some patterns and schemas in mind.

      Like 1
    • Roy
    • Royhj
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Antonella Di Giulio ,
    My question might be irrelevant to your talk as it's more about a bizarre usage of speed rather than rhythm, but anyway, I use speed as a "first phase" part of muscle memory.

    I don't know if this is conventional, but I find that when I learn hands separately, if I force myself playing each hand way above my target speed together, then I can memorize the parts much faster.

    I know that this has implications to articulation and choice of fingering and more, but I use it only in the beginning to get through memorization, it creates larger chunks of parts in my memory for some reason (and I do try to think of playing as if I'm in "fast forward" but actually playing as I would in the right speed).

    I was wondering if this is something that others do as well or if I should avoid or change the process.

    Thanks

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    • Roy I use to memorize slow pieces a bit faster and the. To play them slower. You can even try the opposite (play things much slower).

      Memorization is a personal process we develop over time and so…

      I would say that if that is working for you, just keep doing it, as long as you are also thinking about playing these passages in the most beautiful way.

      Like 1
      • Roy
      • Royhj
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Antonella Di Giulio thank you, I'll keep at it then, maybe it's a phase :)
      I think that it also serves a secondary purpose for me (at my level and the short pieces I play): playing extra fast, hands separately, also helps me think of (and hear) the phrases in a larger context rather than per note and also... exposes technical weaknesses right from the beginning (getting the leaps, fingerings that collapse when played fast, falling too heavy on a note somewhere for some reason...).

      Like 1
      • Jackie
      • Jackie
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      I think this is a very helpful strategy. There are numerous benefits to this practice method. I use this a lot with my students. It’s fun, promotes familiarity with the notes, ease of execution/fluency,  a sense of mastery… the list is long!

      Roy 

      Like 1
    • Roy "falling too heavy on a note somewhere for some reason" :)

      That mostly depends on how you move your hand/ fingers/ wrist. In that case, it is probably better to practice at a very slow tempo by paying attention to the sounds and to your movements. I think you should always have a mixture of strategies and tools at your disposal and use them as needed.

      Like 1
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