Posted on May 17, 2008 by Abigail McHugh in Rhythmic Pulse - Musicality/Phrasing
The basic gist of this practice technique is to say “da” on every beat, or on the offbeat, while playing. The objective in doing this is to internalize the pulse, and to be able to explore variations in the beat that appropriately lead the phrase.
It was almost impossible for me to say “da” on the beat while playing when Lizzy first suggested I try it. I know it sounds easy, but it is bizarrely difficult and frustrating for most people at first. For this reason, I have my students start with it on a very simple piece such as Twinkle, which is still quite a challenge in general. After a few tries, Twinkle usually becomes manageable, and so I make it more difficult, either by saying “da” on the offbeat, or by choosing more advanced repertoire. Once they can do it on their current piece fairly fluently, we work on making the das musical, so that the pulse guides the shape of the phrase. I tell them that not all beats are created equal and that the character of the rhythmic impulse has a huge effect on the character of the notes that react to it. For example, a short energetic da can provide great momentum for notes to spring off of, but in some passages it might be more appropriate to have a longer “daaaaaa” that builds to the following beat, or a gentle, soothing da that closes the phrase. This is also a great way to work on rubato, as it can quickly become clear if the tempo changes are too abrupt or in some way illogical.
Note 1: Practice this at home to make sure that you can do it, before trying it with a student!
Note 2: Some students might feel a bit self-conscious about saying the das with energy. Trying it a few times along with the teacher’s bold, unabashed example should probably cure this.
Note 3: Also helpful for releasing tension in the mouth/jaw while playing.
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