What is Extreme Voicing on the Piano?

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I’ve different aspects of voicing on the piano: How to Play Softly, How to Play Loud, How to go from Loud to Soft, How to Play One Hand Louder Than the Other on the Piano, and How to Bring Out Lines in Your Music.

Today I am going to talk about something a little different; something I learned as a conservatory student.

When I would listen to performances of concert pianists, I would notice that the melody was delineated much more in their playing than in most student performances. The difference in volume between the melody and the harmony was much greater in the performances of the great pianists.

In the example provided with the video in this article, I play the slow movement of the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata and show you how playing the melody much bigger and playing everything else very delicately will give the piece a much more intimate feel.

The thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t a right or wrong approach to your music, it’s simply one technique you can bring that will create a unique presence for your performances. In very dense music, delineating your melody from the rest of the music is essential; otherwise, it can get lost very easily.

While it doesn’t work on all occasions, in some instances you must create extreme separation between your melody and harmony by accentuating the melody above all else. Practicing Without the Pedal and Practicing While Playing Slowly are two great techniques in learning how to bring out the melody in your music.

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

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