Teaching Phrasing in Music: Techniques and Insights

Phrasing in music refers to the way a musician shapes a sequence of notes to convey expression, much like how a speaker modulates voice to emphasise meaning in language.

Understanding phrasing is fundamental to musicality; it turns notes on a page into a compelling narrative.

This article will explore methods for teaching phrasing, drawing from concepts like thwarted expectations, trajectory in Brahms’ Op. 118, the use of singing as a practise method, phrasing in Chopin, playing Schubert like a singer, and techniques for handling rests and long notes.

1. Understanding Thwarted Expectations in Phrasing

Teaching phrasing often begins with understanding the emotional arc within a piece. One particularly effective method is to highlight thwarted expectations.

This concept involves setting up an anticipation in the music, only to divert it in an unexpected direction.

When applied to teaching, students can be encouraged to identify moments in the music where the composer builds anticipation and where the resolution or redirection occurs.

For example, in classical and Romantic compositions, a phrase might lead the listener toward a cadence only to delay or transform it, creating surprise or tension.

To teach this, ask students to sing or play the phrase slowly while focusing on the emotional build-up.

Discuss how subtle variations in timing and dynamics at these moments can transform the listener’s experience.

Encouraging students to think of these moments as dramatic or poetic “pauses” can add depth to their phrasing.

2. The Trajectory in Brahms’ Op. 118

Brahms’ Op. 118 offers a rich landscape for studying phrasing due to its deep emotional currents and intricate voice leading.

In pieces like these, phrasing should follow the natural trajectory of the melody—beginning softly, intensifying, and then either tapering or concluding with a sense of resolution.

Teaching students to map out the trajectory involves analysing the score to understand where phrases peak and where they resolve.

Encourage students to play through the phrases and identify these points of culmination. Have them mark where dynamics shift and where rubato might emphasise emotional direction.

This method will help students internalise the flow of phrases so they can play them naturally, conveying the inherent drama Brahms embedded in the music.

3. Singing as a Practise Method

One of the most effective ways to teach phrasing is to have students sing the music they are learning to play.

Singing forces musicians to engage with breath, which naturally imposes a sense of phrasing.

This technique can be particularly transformative for instrumentalists who might otherwise view phrases as mechanical divisions rather than emotional arcs.

For example, when teaching a Chopin nocturne or etude, have the student sing through the melody, noticing where natural breaths would occur and how each note relates to the next.

This process helps illuminate how a phrase should rise, fall, or linger.

Singing can also guide students in finding the “line” within a phrase, teaching them to play as if their instrument is an extension of the voice.

4. Building Phrases in Chopin

Chopin’s music is an exquisite model for teaching nuanced phrasing.

Each phrase in Chopin’s works often sings like a miniature poem, full of longing and subtlety.

To help students phrase Chopin’s music effectively, encourage them to focus on the harmonic underpinnings of each phrase.

Understanding where harmonies shift can guide students on how to shape a phrase dynamically and temporally.

For example, when teaching a Chopin waltz or nocturne, analyse where harmonic tension builds and releases.

Have students experiment with slight tempo changes and dynamic swells that align with these moments.

Phrasing in Chopin also benefits from rubato, so teach students to incorporate tasteful tempo fluctuations that enhance the music’s expressive quality without losing the underlying pulse.

5. Playing Schubert Like a Singer

Schubert’s compositions, particularly his Lieder transcriptions and piano works, lend themselves beautifully to teaching song-like phrasing.

His phrases often mirror human speech and song.

To emulate this on the piano, encourage students to listen to Schubert’s songs performed by accomplished vocalists.

This can provide insight into how singers use diction, breath, and dynamic shifts to convey meaning.

In practise, have students approach a Schubert phrase by imagining they are singing it.

Ask them to consider where the singer might take a breath and how the text would influence the delivery.

This attention to vocal-style phrasing encourages a legato touch and helps students play Schubert with more lyricism.

6. Phrasing with Rests

Rests are often overlooked in phrasing but are as essential as the notes.

Phrasing with rests involves treating silences as active components of the musical line.

Students must be taught to view rests not as gaps but as moments filled with anticipation or resolution.

To practise this, select passages with significant rests, such as in Mozart or Beethoven sonatas, and have students play the phrase leading into the rest.

Discuss the tension that remains in the air during the silence and how it should be maintained until the next note.

Practising this awareness helps students use rests to add dramatic weight to their playing, enhancing their overall phrasing.

7. Phrasing Long Notes

Long notes can be the most challenging part of a phrase to sustain with interest.

Teaching students to phrase long notes involves guiding them on how to shape the note dynamically over its duration.

This can be achieved by creating a subtle crescendo or decrescendo, depending on the context of the phrase.

For example, in a slow movement by Bach or in Brahms’ intermezzi, have students practise holding long notes with a gradual shift in pressure and colour, as though singing through the note.

This prevents the note from sounding static and adds a singing quality to the phrase.

It’s crucial that students learn to maintain energy and tension during these long notes so the phrase continues seamlessly.

Conclusion

Phrasing is the art of storytelling in music.

Teaching it effectively requires a multifaceted approach that considers both technical and expressive elements.

Whether using thwarted expectations to create surprise, analysing the trajectory in Brahms’ compositions, practising with singing, or learning to phrase rests and long notes, students should be encouraged to find the emotional journey within the music.

By applying these techniques, musicians can transform their playing from mere note execution to meaningful, communicative artistry.