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
10 thoughts on “What Does Rubato Mean?”
Hi Robert, thanks for this video on rubato and the great explanation – it’s a huge subject. I’d love to hear your views on the great Seymour Bernstein’s teaching on how composers – at least specific composers such as Chopin and Brahms – indicate in their scores where they want rubato employed. Mr Bernstein presents strong evidence from his research that the “hairpins” are used – yes that’s right the hairpins. They indicate rubato and not changes in dynamics. Have you come across this before?
Thanks, Margaret
That’s a very unorthodox interpretation of dynamic markings. However, in Romantic period music, rubato will often coincide musically with dynamics.
This is going to be very helpful to me in working with a student who is doing Moonlight Sonata and Bober’s Rhapsody Brilliante. I was having a problem explaining to her why her rubato just was not quite acceptable. Now I know how to explain about the underlying larger pulse. Thanks so much.
So glad this is helpful for you!
Thank you. This is an excellent explanation about rubato, where you make it very clear to understand.
My father would play with the metronome to demonstrate rubato getting ahead of the beat, then catching up never gaining or losing a beat!
Very good presentation and explanation of rubato, Robert. Excellent demonstration too in this beautiful Nocturne. And thank you for the warning about the over-use of rubato, which can be distracting and spoil an otherwise excellent performance.
I have heard it said that the word “rubato” comes from he same root as the verb “to rob”, meaning “to steal”. Your point that it is not an overall slowing down is very well taken. Properly played, a little time is “robbed” from here and “paid back” there, with the beat as a whole not changing, just like you said. I can’t do it at all…..
Great Mini lesson on Rubato. it hit the spot!
Thoroughly enjoying your blog
Hi, Robert —
In this you demonstrate no rubato and good rubato. How about a demonstration of too much rubato?
Perhaps this could be combined with accelerando, which seems to me a closely related topic. The bridge from Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” would be a good example. The idea is to make it a complete treatment of all variations from strict tempo.
Thanks again for all the informative videos….
— J.S.