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Rhythm help needed

Discussion in 'Works in Progress' started by pianolady, Apr 7, 2014.

  1. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    I must be going nuts because suddenly I am not sure if I'm playing this correctly. It's the first bar and the first three notes. Actually, it's really just the first note. I can't explain it very well, so I made a 25-second recording. The first version is the way I usually play it. But then somehow I started playing the first note shorter and more staccato and now I'm wondering if I should stick to playing it this new way. I hope someone can straighten me out...it's a detail that I need to get right.
     
    pianolady, Apr 7, 2014
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  2. hreichgott

    hreichgott New Member

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    Hi Monica,
    In the first version you're rushing the 8th note (the G#).
    The second version is correct. There isn't any rhythmic difference on the first two notes, but perhaps the staccato helps you hear the length of the 8th note more accurately?
    Heather
     
    hreichgott, Apr 7, 2014
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  3. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    I have to disagree with Heather. I think the 1st version is the rhythmically correct as far as the first bar goes. I don't hear any rush on the G#. I don't like the too long pause after bar 2 though, that breaks the flow.

    The second version suffers from a lazy dotted rhythm (to which I'm prone too if I don't watch out for it). The dotted figure is played as if it were notated as a triplet.
     
    techneut, Apr 7, 2014
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  4. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    I'm inclined to agree with Chris. The second version sounds tripletised. You could try counting (rapidly!) each crotchet/quarter note subdivided into sixes as an experiment.
     
    andrew, Apr 8, 2014
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  5. hreichgott

    hreichgott New Member

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    Check with a metronome if you think I'm wrong ;) The B and A together should add up to an 8th, the same as the G#...
     
    hreichgott, Apr 8, 2014
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  6. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Thank you for the help, you three! :)

    Now I actually think I did rush the G-sharp a bit. I've been comparing two videos for the past ten minutes -

    one is Horowitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpzZ0epqKwE

    and the other Yuja Wang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwpyZqqZODk

    Their style is completely opposite from one another, but I believe their rhythm is the same. It just sounds different because Wang plays very sharp and staccato, whereas Horowitz is more legato. But listening back to my little test recording, I think my second version more closely matches these two recordings. Now I just have to nail down whether I want to play it legato or staccato. Right now, I'm sort of in between.

    And yes, I should not have paused after bar 2. I'll correct that. Thanks for pointing it out.
     
    pianolady, Apr 8, 2014
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  7. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    Uh, yes, of course the G# is too short in the first sample (and it should indeed add up to eight!) But the dotted rhythm is correct in the first and wrong in the second. Whether the tempo of the dotted rhythm in sample one matches the tempo in the remainder of that clip, I'm not so sure.
     
    andrew, Apr 8, 2014
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