Lesson 38: Musical Phrasing and Expression
- Find likely phrase endings before playing.
- Make the start, middle and end of each phrase clear.
A phrase is a musical sentence. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
A phrase is a musical sentence; look for endings at rests, long notes or a sense of arrival, then sing the line to test them.
Finding phrases
Mark the three two-bar phrase endings before playing.
Shaping a phrase
Choose a note to lead towards, then let the phrase settle without letting its pitch sag.
Compare an unshaped reading with one that leads towards a chosen note in each four-bar phrase.
Play: Greensleeves — Chappell reading
Tap two beats per bar, sing the opening, then play with a breath plan that keeps the 6/8 beat moving.
Now play these
- Greensleeves (Chappell)
- Complete verse and older refrain.
- Danny Boy — first half
- Shape Petrie’s instrumental air; review Lesson 22’s chromatic note. Full air after 49.
- Vivaldi: RV 443 — complete Largo (advanced)
- Here phrasing is the entire performance.
When your recording makes each phrase’s beginning and ending clear, move on to Lesson 39.