Teachers and instructors often tell their students to play “more musically,” but they do not always explain what that means exactly. Here are some concepts to focus on that can shed some light on this issue.
TONE
What does your instrument really sound like?
Tone is one of the most important aspects of music-making, and it refers to the quality of your sound. No matter what instrument you are playing, you can think of examples where someone playing it just sounded “bad.” Maybe they played all of the correct notes, and even used shaping and dynamics… but the experience of listening to them play was just not enjoyable.
We use lots of words to describe tone: warm, dry, rich, thin, full, big, dark, and bright to name a few. In general, we should endeavor as musicians to create rich, full, dark, and warm sounds as a default. There are definitely times where some other keywords might come into play, but these four terms are a great starting point for most playing.
Now the question is, how do we achieve rich, full, dark, and warm sounds? To play with good tone, you need to study the mechanics of your instrument. For percussionists, this means you need to understand how your arms, wrists, and fingers are working together to control the sticks/mallets and produce sound. Eliminating tension is the number one way to improve tone, whether in the field of percussion or beyond. Train yourself to stop squeezing the sticks! Another focal point should be to move as naturally and organically as possible. This just means to try to replicate hand and arm motions that are natural to how you move outside of music. Examples of this include playing rebounded strokes similar to how you would dribble a basketball, or rotating your single independent strokes like how you would turn a doorknob. Making these connections to your life outside of music leads to more relaxation and less tension, which produces better tone.
A discussion of tone would be incomplete without addressing the area of tuning as well. This topic could be expanded into an entirely separate post, so for now we will just say: tune your instrument to itself, to the room/venue, and to your own ears. Listen to the sounds your instrument produces, and adjust the tuning as necessary to fit your ideal concept of tone. When in doubt, listen to other respected musicians and steal their tuning ideas shamelessly. As you start to find your own sound, you will realize it is a mashup of all of the sounds your mentors and heroes have produced, but it will be unique because of how your individual experiences also shape the sound.
PHRASING
How lyrically can you play?
Musical phrasing refers to the direction you take your musical line. Think of a melody like a road, where the sheet music tells you which notes to play (or where the road takes you), but it does nothing to describe the scenery along the way. That is where your musical phrasing and interpretation comes in. You get to be the tour guide for your audience, highlighting certain aspects of the musical journey, while understating other areas when appropriate.
It is possible to “overdo it” with phrasing. As with tone, it is best to emulate nature whenever possible. For example, instead of quick crescendos and diminuendos that follow the shape of a musical line up and down dramatically, perhaps the music calls for something more subtle, with a longer crescendo that ends with a subtle tapering of the dynamic. Try to take yourself out of the equation when possible, and listen to what might suit the musical line best.
One of the best ways to figure out phrasing is to make some decisions, try some ideas out, and then record yourself playing. Listen with an open mind, and remain unattached to your previous decisions. By taking the time to just listen (as opposed to when you are playing AND listening simultaneously), you will hear the music differently, and be able to make sound judgments as an audience would. Try not to be too hard on yourself, and to remember that music-making is a journey. As long as you can feel the direction of that journey, there is a good chance your audience will feel something, too.
ACCURACY
“Accuracy is the twin brother of honesty; inaccuracy, of dishonesty.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne, American Novelist
A musician that plays with beautiful tone and nuanced phrasing would still be incomplete without devoting significant attention to musical accuracy. Correct rhythm, tempo, pitch, intonation, and articulation are all good places to start. Additionally, while certain liberties can be taken with regard to dynamics, the performer should first plan to emulate the dynamic instructions given in the music, and then make modifications as appropriate.
Developing accuracy starts with slow, deliberate, metronome-based practice. Starting at half-tempo is good, but starting even slower can be useful at times. Use of the metronome and precise placement of each note in time will create an internal foundation of timeliness and rhythm/tempo accuracy. Gradually increasing the tempo on the metronome can take minutes in some instances, or can take days or weeks of practice depending on the complexity of the piece and the experience level of the performer. Patience is key here. Rushing this process leads to missed notes, inaccurate rhythms, and inconsistent tempo. True mastery is first achieved at a slow tempo, and then by taking the time to gradually increase to performance tempo while maintaining all areas of musical accuracy. Again, this process cannot be rushed, so schedule your time appropriately, stay organized, and remain patient. The results are worth the effort!
In summary, musicality really comes down to tone, phrasing, and accuracy. These concepts can be debated and dissected further, but this is undoubtedly a good place to start. I hope this information is useful to you. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions about what else it takes to play more musically!