How to guide students to 'Interpret' music?

In an earlier post titled 'Stages and Steps for Teaching a Piece - A Timeline', I mentioned that typically a piece goes through 3 stages of learning:

Stage 1 : Preliminary Stage

Stage 2 : Coordination and Fluency

Stage 3 : Polishing Stage

This post will expand upon the 'Polishing Stage', primarily focusing on the 'Interpretation' element.

To re-cap, in the Polishing Stage, some of the steps we take (as enlisted in the Post mentioned earlier) are:

1. Add Pedal

2. Focus on Musically playing the Articulations and Dynamics

3. Practice with Stylistic Awareness

4. Practice performing from different Starting Points

5. Set Practice Goals

6. Practice with All Controls

7. Listen to Recordings for Interpretative ideas

8. Practice faster than required Tempo

9. Practice Mentally

If you broadly sub-categorize the above steps, they could be sub-divided as

A. Interpretation (#1, #2, #3, #7)

B. How to Practice Performing (#4, #5, #6, #8, #9)

INTERPRETATION can be thought of as making a lot of Informed decisions in order for the Performer to best Communicate the Composer's intentions in the Performers own unique 'Voice'. This is typically done through a lot of research, listening/watching/experiencing other performances, reflecting and imagination.

A teacher can guide the student through this process of decision-making by asking a lot of Leading Questions, and help find appropriate Subjective/Objective Solutions. This process helps generate curiosity, and also deepen understanding and improve quality and communication of the performance.

Here are the Questions to lead students with (the questions are in no particular order):

1. What is the Form of the Piece? Does the Form inform particular Performance choices?

2. What are the Stylistic Features of the era of Music the piece was written in? Which instrument (s)/ Voice did the composer Hear the Piece in?

3. Who are the other prominent composers of the Period? what were the Performance Instruments and Venues of the Period? how do Historic instrument's construction and make affect the performance on a Modern Piano?

4. Did the composer write other pieces of similar genre?

5. What tempo best reflects the piece? does the tempo work for the entire piece?

6. Is there a Dance form associated with this piece? If so, what is it?; and how does it affect the way the piece gets performed?

7. Does the piece begin on an Upbeat? If so, is it played on time?

8. Are there 'ritardando' markings? If not, is there a need for one or would it be appropriate to include one?

9. Would adding a 'ritardando' at the end change the character of the music for the better/worse?

10. Are there passages with Rolled Chords that could use 'Rubato'?

11. Are there Rhythm/Time Changes that need special attention or Highlighting?

12. How do the Phrases really divide, irrespective of the Slur Markings? are there rhythm patterns that repeat?

13. How many notes get played together in one gesture?

14. Does the texture of the music have a Main Melody, Secondary Melody, Accompaniment, Bass-Line? and which voice is carrying the Main Melody, Secondary Melody and Accompaniment?

15. Is the Melodic Rhythm Slower than the accompaniment? Which line is the least important to highlight?

16. Do Harmonies remain intact when pushing notes into the Background? If not, which notes need to be brought to the foreground to make the harmonies clear?

17. If there is an Alberti Bass, does the first note provide a clear Bass Melody that can be voiced?

18. Are the Octaves? If so, which notes need to be made subordinate?

19. Is there a Pedal Point? What is its purpose? does it heighten the tension or lower it?

20. If there is no obvious Bass Line, are there notes in the texture that would help define the Harmony? should these be brought to the Foreground?

21. Why did the Composer choose to write a particular ornament in a particular place in the music? What is the Composer trying to Communicate?

22. Is the Rhythm of the Ornament Rigid or Flexible?

23. Is the Ornament in the Context of the Style, Composer and Period supposed to be Expressive or Rhythmic?

24. What Dynamics are to be applied to the Ornaments?

25. Should the Ornaments mimic another melodic figure found elsewhere in the music?

26. Should the Ornament be played on the beat or before (as per style, period and composer)?

27. Are there other ways to Realize the Ornament?

28. Are there notes after the Ornament that is also to be included in the same Gesture?

29. Would the use of Agogic Accents be more appropriate than a Rubato?

30. Are there Dramatic markings like sf, sfz, fp?

31. Are there Imperfect Cadences? How would you want to highlight them?

32. Does the composer use humorous elements such as Long Rests, Harmonic Confusion, Fermatas?

33. Does the composer stall the return of the A Section? What techniques are used for Stalling?

34. Where is the V7 Chord used in the Music?

35. How long/short should the Staccatos, Tenutos and Portatos be?

36. How Strictly should the Rest be observed? (is the piece slow and lyrical, or quick and rhythmic?)

37. When was the Piece written and how does that affect Pedaling Choices?

38. Where do the Dampers effect stop on the Piano being used? and how does that affect pedaling choices?

39. Does Syncopated Pedaling sound smooth with no gaps or overlaps of notes?

40. Are there places where strengthening or accent pedaling can enhance the sound of the chords?

41. Are there places where long pedals can be used to connect bass-line melodies?

42. Are there places where Flutter Pedal or Half Pedal would be appropriate?

43. If Una Corda Pedal is used, is it to change timber or to create softer sound?

While the questions I have enlisted are not exhaustive, they surely can be used as a take off point, while the teacher continues to add more to the list.

As a Teacher guides students through 'Interpretation' using these Steps, over time and experience students will learn to think independently and develop their own unique Interpretations

Interpretation is personal, but is not something to leave to chance, instead it is a process that requires meticulous preparation and thought!!!