All posts by Robert Estrin

What Does Rubato Mean?

Rubato is a technique typically used during Romantic period music, such as Chopin, Schumann, and other composers. It is not something used as much during baroque or classical era music: Bach, Mozart, Haydn, and others.

Simply put, Rubato is a give and take in the timing of music – it adds an expressive element. Some people make the mistake of gaining or losing time when it comes to implementing rubato; this is not what rubato is at all. Instead of gaining or losing time, it’s simply playing ahead or behind the beat but always coming back to the correct time. This provides an incredible amount of tension and release to the music.

In the video example above I play the Chopin Nocturne in b-flat minor both with rubato and without. You will notice that you can tap along to the beat of the music whether I am playing with rubato or not. This is something to keep in mind, when playing rubato. You should be able to tap along rhythmically even with the give and take of the beat.

If you lose the pulse, your music will die. What does this mean? It’s not the eight notes; it’s the longer notes that create the pulse of the music. When playing rubato it is important to keep the pulse.

My father demonstrates rubato playing with the metronome getting ahead and behind of the metronome without losing a beat! This is an incredibly difficult skill to master but it can bring your music to new levels. The secret to playing good rubato involves being able to feel the large beat and not just the subdivisions. You will find that you have a lot of freedom to mold the tempo and add an expressive element while keeping the pulse alive!

Thanks again for joining me, Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Drugs and Music – A Complicated Relationship

This is a loaded and controversial topic that’s bound to elicit a strong response out of many of you. The relationship between drugs and music is very long and complex but there are some interesting aspects we can explore in this topic.

Neurologically, a lot of drugs (such as alcohol and marijuana) suppress certain parts of the brain. We’ve all heard of the simplistic idea of a left-brain and right-brain as it pertains to critical thinking and creativity. Certain drugs will suppress certain parts of the brain and some people – including musicians – like to experience this effect.

Drugs are of huge cultural significance as well and have been around for thousands of years. Caffeine is a drug taken by billions of people every single day and just like other drugs it affects the brain and body in different ways. When it comes to music, drugs – specifically mind altering drugs like alcohol, marijuana and others – have had and continue to have a dramatic effects on the musical world and musicians who inhabit it.

Charlie Bird Parker was one of the groundbreaking pioneers of be-bop jazz who was a drug addict. This affected musicians and people around him as they emulated his musical style as well as his drug use. It goes further than this when you look at the world of rock and roll and bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones who glorified the “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” movement. These circumstances were much more cultural than anything else. But did it effect their music?

Drugs will not make you a better musician. Certain people might benefit from inhibiting certain analytical parts of their brain that allows them to lose inhibitions adding spontaneity to their music, but it doesn’t make them better musicians. You would not be able to take drugs to increase your learning or develop better skills but you might be able to improvise with a little bit more freedom of expression at first.

The downside to drug use is very well documented in the music world. While it might allow certain musicians to be more “creative” it does have it’s share of negative effects. Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, Ric James, Charlie Parker, and many more musicians have died as a result of their drug use. It is not something to take lightly.

Drug use is not a yes or no type of question. Many people enjoy listening to music either in their home or at live events and have a few glasses of wine or beer or sometimes smoke marijuana. Even legal drugs require a level of balance to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Certain musicians use drugs and find it helps them with their music. Whether you think this is a good or bad thing, it is a personal choice and it’s a complicated subject. Please share any insights you might have in this topic, we would love to hear from you. Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How Many Musical Scales Are There?

This is an incredibly tough question and to be honest there is no definitive answer but I’m going to provide some insights for you. You would think that because there are twelve different notes there might be twelve different scales; but things are a bit more complicated.

While it’s true that there are twelve different notes and twelve different major scales, you also have to consider minor scales. With minor scales you have two forms of each scale, the harmonic and the melodic, so you now have 36 scales. Are we done yet? Not even close.

The the next thing you have to consider are modes. This becomes a little tricky because modes are scales that simply start on different notes. For example, if you have no sharps or flats you could be in C major. And while you can play a C major scale using no sharps or flats you could just as easily start on D and play no sharps or flats and have a completely new scale – called the Dorian mode. You could also start on E and play the Phrygian mode also with no sharps or flats. This can be applied to all seven notes which gives you seven more scales (or more accurately, modes) to consider. Then you can start adding sharps or flats and the numbers quickly become overwhelming as the possibilities for scales are immense.

Here is a quick chart for reference. It’s not 100% complete as there are scales that can be made by using modes of melodic minors and much more but this is a good reference point for you:

– 36 Major and Minor Scales
– 72 Additional Modes
– 12 Blues Scales
– 12 Diminished Scales
– 12 Pentatonic Scales
– 12 Whole Tone Scales
– 12 Chromatic Scales

We welcome your comments of additional scales not considered in this list!

Thanks again for joining me and I welcome your comments on this subject and any other. Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What is a Square Grand Piano?

You may have heard of a square grand piano, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t. Square grand pianos are an interesting side note in the development of the piano. They have a unique design that looks like a coffin when closed. But are they good instruments?

The piano has had a long development from the harpsichord to the early forte pianos from the Classical era. In the 19th century there was massive development of the piano bringing about the modern piano we know and love today. I have more information about this in my show, Living Piano: Journey Through Time – Historic Concert Experience.

In the mid to late 19th century we got an iteration of the piano that would soon become only an interesting footnote in its eventual development; the square grand piano. They are sometimes referred to as “coffin pianos” because when they are closed they look like a coffin. These pianos are certainly distinct in their appearance but technically they are inferior instruments.

Instead of aligning the strings with the keys – like a traditional piano – they are perpendicular. This means that the keys on one end of the keyboard are much longer than the keys on the other end of the keyboard. The part of the keys that are longer and shorter are behind the fallboard, not the part you see unless you remove the action – otherwise it appears as a normal keyboard to the player.

Here is an example of an action from a square grand piano:

Image from Worthpoint.com

Notice how the keys get shorter and shorter.

Because of this design choice, these actions were notoriously difficult to regulate with any kind of consistency. Only a skilled technician who is used to working with these type of actions can get them regulated properly. Yet, even then they don’t respond as well as modern piano actions.

These instruments fell out of favor and the design was abandoned. They were not known to be particularly good instruments and they had problematic actions. However, the designs of the cases are particularly elegant and many of them have ornate carvings. These instruments are much better suited to a museum than in the home of a serious pianist.

I welcome everyone’s comments and would love to hear your opinion of square grand pianos. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Wood Piano Actions Vs. Plastic Piano Actions

This is a very interesting topic and one that is relevant to the reality of modern day piano building. There was a time when piano actions were made entirely of wood parts but with advances in technology come newer and cheaper alternatives. Today we are going to discuss whether or not plastic actions are as good – or better – than their wooden counterparts.

If you’ve ever looked at a piano action you notice the sheer complexity of it – there are literally thousands of parts. For centuries, piano actions were made out of wood. As time went on and plastics became better, some piano companies began experimenting with putting plastic into their actions in order to cut down on costs.

Early attempts at incorporating plastic parts in actions in the 1950s and 1960s – were wrought with problems because the plastic would become brittle and break over time. These piano actions can be a nightmare to work on and generally should be avoided.

In recent years plastics have come a long way. In fact, Wessel, Nickel & Gross have invented a carbon fiber action that has no wooden parts at all! These actions play differently from traditional actions and are very high quality and can be found in new Mason & Hamlin pianos.

Generally, companies started to rely on plastic parts in their actions because they are easier and cheaper to mass produce. This is not technically a bad thing but most of the companies that are cutting costs are using plastic for some parts of their actions and not all of them. This can cause problems because wood will expand and contract with changes in the weather and room climate – yet plastic will not. This can create problems in some situations with notes hanging up. If you live in a place with widely different temperatures sometimes an all wood or all synthetic action will be a better choice for you.

Another issue with plastic actions are new designs and technologies that require new skill sets to work with. A wood action has been the standard for so long that any reputable piano technician should be able to work with them. When it comes to plastic actions or carbon fiber actions, you might have to search for someone who is familiar with those particular actions and possibly have access to spare parts if necessary.

There are many great companies like Kawai and Mason & Hamlin that utilize plastic and synthetics in their piano actions and they have had great results. However, the vast majority of great pianos in the world still utilize wooden actions – such as Hamburg Steinway and Bösendorfer (which both use Renner Actions made entirely out of wood).

More than anything, it’s finding the right piano and action for you. You should certainly be wary of actions that mix wood and plastic in more extreme climates but overall there are new technologies available that are worth your consideration.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What is the Neapolitan 6th Chord?

I highly encourage everyone to watch the accompanying video with this article. It provides excellent visual representations of the Neapolitan 6th chord as well as a demonstration of how it can be utilized in your music.

Neapolitan 6th might sound like a strange name, but it’s a beautiful chord that can enhance your music. Even if you haven’t heard the name, you’ve probably heard the chord. But what is it exactly and how can you utilize it in your music?

The Neapolitan 6th can function like a IV chord. Sometimes composers will substitute a II 6 chord for the IV chord. So in the key of C major, instead of the IV chord, F – A – C, you have the first inversion of the II chord which has the F on the bottom: F – A – D.

The Neapolitan 6 chord offers another substitution taking things one step further. The Neapolitan chord is a major triad built on the flatted second degree of the scale. That might sound complicated, so let’s break it down. In the key of C major, the second degree of the scale is D. So, lower that note a half-step and you have D-flat. Build a major chord on D-flat: D-flat – F – A-flat. That is the Neapolitan chord in root position. You might wonder how a D-flat major chord will fit in a the key of C major, but in the first inversion (6) it functions the same as the IV or the II 6 chord but has a unique sound.

Again, build a Neapolitan 6th chord by lowering the second note of a major scale. So, in C major you start with D and lower it a half-step to D-flat and build a major triad on D-flat: D-flat – F – A-flat. Then invert it so F is on the bottom (6 inversion) F – A-flat – D-flat. You now have a Neapolitan 6th chord!

So if you’re improvising or composing, and are using a IV or II 6 chord, think about using a Neapolitan 6th instead to give your music a distinct flavor. It’s a fun and creative tool to have at your disposal and something that can make your music more interesting. Furthermore, as you study your scores, you will discover the use of this chord in countless compositions.

Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions about this topic or any topic at all please contact us directly: Info@LivingPianos.com or (949) 244-3729.