Listening Coordination Between Players in an Ensemble Setting

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Listening Coordination - The ability to comfortably hear and respond to multiple voices/ideas during a musical performance

In music, listening skills are everything.  We tend to work on them primarily from a personal perspective.  However, once listening skills are on a solid path of development from the individual's perspective we must then begin to consider listening coordination between players on a larger scale.  This is something that is not often thoroughly examined.  In today's environment of excellent chamber music writing for percussion, listening coordination between players is possibly one of the most important skills to master.

This article will explore a few ways to begin working on this process.  Like learning to play an instrument itself, learning true listening coordination is a process that requires hard work and dedication.

When teaching listening coordination between players I like to classify it into two categories.

Direct Listening- When one can hear the full part played by another member of the ensemble regardless of musical texture.  This is easy to do when the instrumentation and range between players is radically different (ex. one person playing bass drum, another playing xylophone) and the parts and rhythms are not in unison.

Indirect or Instinctive Listening- When the musical texture and timbre prevents one from hearing the other player directly (ex. parts in unison) so one must listen by instinct.  If one doesn't listen by instinct in this situation the player will play either early or late and the parts won't be together. True "togetherness" often prevents direct listening.  For example, try playing 8th notes along with a metronome playing 8th notes.  If you are perfectly in sync with it you will not be able to fully hear the metronome.  Learning to listen indirectly through instinct therefore becomes just as important as direct listening.

Once we understand both the concepts of direct and indirect listening, we can then begin to apply them and develop fluent listening coordination.

How to develop listening coordination between players:

1) Get together with someone in a duo setting and practice listening only to each other's parts while playing.  Apply the same process to larger ensembles.

This is perhaps one of the most basic ways to practice listening coordination.  It will accomplish two things.  First, it will force you to develop the ability to play while focusing entirely on something else.  This will be very challenging at first from a coordination perspective but if you stay with it, it will become an entirely natural process.  This process can then be applied to larger ensembles where different players practice listening to each other while playing at the same time and rotating throughout the ensemble.  As you move through this process pay attention to whether or not each musical situation requires either direct or indirect listening.  This should be worked on everyday. The ear is a muscle that must be developed to hear and respond to multiple ideas at once. Learning to hear others while playing is no different than learning to play scales or any other basic tenet of music making.

2) Spend a great deal of time working on your posture to develop a relationship with your instrument that nurtures a wider sphere of awareness and the ability to work with others.  

What may not be so apparent in developing listening coordination between players is posture.  If your basic posture is one in which you hunch over your instrument, your fundamental perspective will only be focused on what is immediately in front of you and it may be physically impossible to embrace a wider sphere of awareness (aka other players and sounds).  Your physical stance should encourage and support listening coordination.  When working on posture, there is a tremendous amount to discuss.  However, for the purpose of this article I will put it in the simplest terms.  Basically, everything must be in front of you while playing.  By standing back from your instrument and making sure that your elbows are in front of your body when you play, you will insure that you have a relationship with your instrument that nurtures listening coordination and greater awareness.   Posture is so important in how it relates to listening that it has in many ways become a cornerstone of my teaching approach.

3) Recognize and become fluent in how color and timbre affect listening.  

This is very important. When instruments are similar and playing in the same range (ex. marimba duo playing in the same octave) things must often be sensed rather than heard (indirect listening).  When instruments are completely different and in different ranges (ex. vibes and tuba) it is definitely possible to use more direct listening or a middle ground between the two listening approaches.  "What" you are playing usually dictates the way in which you must develop your listening coordination.  Improving at this process is a matter of time and experience performing music in different settings.  Sound is not arbitrary and performers must be thoughtful in how they listen to and respond to different instruments and ideas.  This goes hand and hand with the ideals performers should strive for outlined in my article "The Process of Recomposition."  In order to recognize and become fluent in how color and timbre affect listening, performers must develop a set of skills similar to that of a composer. 

4) Learn to strive for an "ensemble sound" rather than individuals creating a series of sounds. 

A truly balanced ensemble strives to create one ensemble sound rather than a series of different instruments put together.  Balance between sections can only be achieved if the entire group is aware of this and able to adjust accordingly.  In many cases it requires a true understanding of indirect listening and a trust of instinct between players.  True listening coordination allows players to find ways to be "in tune" with each other beyond the notes.  It takes practice to get a feel for this subtle yet necessary ingredient in deep expression and artistry.

Closing

In an ensemble setting, any serious musician must strive to develop the ability to simultaneously transmit and receive information at the same time.  Listening coordination is one of the primary skill sets required to master this process.  As the suggestions in this article are developed and mastered, the process will become fluent and less time will be spent dissecting it.  In other words, over time you will simply be "listening freely" and adjusting without analyzing it.

In my experience students typically have not methodically worked on the skill sets surrounding "listening coordination" and built them into their playing with the same level of seriousness as everything else.  Hopefully this article will serve as a useful starting point.  Enjoy the process!

The Process of Recomposition - How to interpret composers, findmeaning, and insert yourself into the music

It's not easy playing other people's music.  If you are not a composer yourself and you have been trained in the current concert or "classical" instrumental music education environment, you may not have been trained thoroughly in the building blocks of music.  This is unfortunate but it is a reality and a sort of hangover from the 20th century that still exists today.

Additionally, you may not feel a connection to the music personally.  This may come from a number of factors including not actually knowing the composer personally or understanding their fundamental lingual approach (which again is related to whether or not you are versed in the building blocks of music).

We must examine this topic properly to illuminate much of what ails instrumental music performance today.  Once we do that we can then put a new process in place that performers can use to "get inside" of the music that they seek to convey.

We have to move backwards to understand how to move forward.  The first thing to recognize here is that there are two basic schools of thought.  The old adage in classical instrumental performance is to try and "discover" what the composer wants and simply emulate it.  The other way of thinking is that music is an interpretive adventure and you can do whatever you want.  The truth is somewhere not necessarily in between but somewhere else entirely.

First, it is literally impossible not to put yourself into something you play.  The very act of trying not to put oneself into something is a personality trait so therefore you are putting yourself (and your well meaning yet misguided rigidity) into the piece.

So if you understand that there will always be a piece of yourself in what you play than you will have a much better chance of truly interpreting music because your starting point will be one of collaboration rather than repetition.

The key is learning how to discover the meaning and lingual techniques the composer is going for. If you can discover those things you can then begin to insert yourself into the music and craft your own ideas around them.  You won't necessarily be trying to change them but rather, you will be trying to align the meaning of the music with your own feelings so you can then bring yourself into the music while retaining the character you are playing.  This is a similar process to that of an actor.  It's important to have the right character, lines, and meaning.  However, how those parts of yourself manifest themselves is a very personal and unique process indigenous and subjective to that of the performer.

What is recomposition?

I first heard this word used during an American Symphony Orchestra rehearsal.  Our conductor Leon Botstein was using it to discuss a work we were rehearsing.  I've also heard conducting students use it to describe the art form of conducting an orchestra and reconstructing a masterwork.  Recomposition can also simply mean from the composer's perspective "reworking a piece of music."  I will be dealing with the process as I see it from the performer's perspective.  We don't often associate a word like "recomposition" with the job of the performer but that is exactly the goal of this article.

As I pointed out above there are many ways to describe recomposition but I will attempt to define it through the performer's eyes.  Recomposition is the process of endeavoring to "recompose" a piece of music through it's performance.  In other words, rather than simply interpreting the music as a performer who is an entirely separate entity from the music itself, you will now perceive your process as one of reconstruction where you are recreating it for the listener.  By going through this process and aligning yourself with the musical ideas you will absorb the music with a much greater amount of depth and emotional understanding.  This will ultimately allow for true freedom of expression and transparent communication in your performing.  Recomposition requires that the performer conjure the music from within whether or not they created it in the first place.  It takes a tremendous amount of work, dedication, and effort but the freedom found within truly changes performances.  It brings them to life!

Returning to the title of this article one then asks how does recomposition help interpretation?   Why do it at all?  The answer lies first in examining the fallacy of repetition as a method of music making.

Repetition vs. Recomposition

All too often students are wrapped up in what they perceive to be "the rules" of performance.  This is none other than the fault of the academic establishment and the old recording industry.  By elevating a small group of composers throughout music history and replaying their master works like a broken record, they have convinced students that they themselves must be a part of the replaying.  I suggest that these students as performers should be a part of the recomposition.  That is to say they should align themselves with the ideas that make the music what is it and then apply themselves to the process of performing.  

Repetition is a noble endeavor but it leads to music without feeling.  The act of simply trying to determine the composer's intention when performing a piece of music is only a small piece of the puzzle.  Music is about communication.  It is symbiotic "life on life."  Without "you" in the picture the music is dead.  Additionally, repitition without recomposition has created a whole generation of performers with little to no understanding of why they play music in the first place.  If music is reduced to a series of rules and regulations than it ceases to be music.  If a musician approaches music in this way than they cease to be musicians.

Recomposition - how to do it

The process of recomposition may be unfamiliar to many aspiring performing artists.  I hope to begin to define the process here.

1) Become fluent in the composer's language. 

Dissect the music you are playing to the point where you know the composer's language so well that it's almost as if it's your own language.  This takes a lot of work.  Composer's have spent their entire lives acquiring their own melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language.  As a performer, your job must be similar whether you write music or not.  It is a different way of thinking from aspects of the current system which encourages performers to separate themselves from this essential process.  

This is why the process of recomposition is so rigorous and rewarding.  The performer must almost become a composer themselves in striving to truly aquire the composer's lingual tools. Recomposition requires the performer to develop their skills of musical language and recognition to that of a composer.  

2) Seek to put yourself in the mind of the composer like an actor playing a character

The performer must attempt to enter a deep meditative like state in which they will become one with the expression and character of the music.  In this stage, the performer must not simply interpret but see through the eyes and hear through the ears of the composer.  Only when this is acheived can the next step be taken.  

3) Build a metaphorical bridge between yourself and the music.  Find emotional areas where you connect and apply. 

This is again similar to the process of an actor.  An actor learns to cry on stage by associating parts of their life when they felt the same way with the scene they are acting out.  They are then able to cry in what appears to the audience to be "on cue."  Actors spend years learning to associate real life experiences and feelings with scenes.  As a musician practicing recomposition, you must do the same.  You must search yourself to find connections throughout the music you are making. You will then truly be able to effectively communicate and channel the music through your playing.  It is a deep and reflective process that results in clarity and honesty.  However, it only works if you've thoroughly processed steps one and two first.  

4) Visualize and remove all traditional technical barriers

It goes without saying yet in the interest of thoroughness it must be mentioned.  If you do not have the order of things firmly in place in your mind than you cannot achieve true recomposition. Visualization and mental preparation are the most helpful tools used to achieve this in order to prevent memory lapses and other basic issues.  I also suggest that you review my articles "Accidental vs. Intentional Phrasing" and "Creating Lines of Music on Mallet Keyboard Instruments."  These will serve as further supplements to insure that you are listening correctly and doing things in the correct order.  Recomposition requires much more technical proficiency than traditional playing.  You must use every tool at your disposal.  

Recomposition is the true 21st century performing artist's process.  It is no longer acceptable to simply try and reproduce music perfectly.  This nearly ruined music in the 20th century. Recomposition serves to further the artform and insure that performers are one with the music they are playing.  This leads to absolute communication and an experience audiences can relate to.  It is something that is absolutely imperative in our modern 21st century world.  

Accidental vs. Intentional Phrasing

Ask yourself a few fundamental questions.  How much of what you play is something that you mean to do?  Is what you are playing intentional or accidental?  The honest answer may shock you.  It's all too common for students to learn how to play purely accidentally without any control or command of their instrument.  In this article I hope to define the difference between accidental and intentional phrasing and give several suggestions to break out of common habits and move toward true freedom and intention.

First let's define the difference between the two.

Accidental Phrasing

Accidental phrasing is when everything we are playing is not intentional or purposeful. Ultimately, accidental phrasing occurs when the mind and the ear are not leading our hands.  Usually this simple process is reversed and the hands lead the ear. We play something and then respond to it.  This creates unnatural awkward phrasing that has very little to do with actual music making.  

Sometimes technical aspects of the music we are playing supersede the music itself. When this takes place speaking through our instrument becomes secondary to "getting through" the passage at hand.  This ultimately leads to phrasing that is forced and unrelated to the music.  When we lean on technical aspects of what we are playing, we let these technical aspects dictate the phrasing.

The majority of amateur players use accidental phrasing without even knowing it.

Intentional Phrasing

Intentional phrasing means just that.  Everything played is being played on purpose. "What we want" is created in our minds before we strike the instrument and upon striking it, we recreate that idea.  This process is completely intentional.  

One can only "intentionally phrase" with complete control of one's instrument.  Otherwise, technique will dictate how our phrases sound.  Primarily, developing intentional phrasing coincides with the acquisition of music as a language and leading with the mind and the ear when playing.  If we are able to speak and communicate through our instrument, then we are naturally able to intentionally phrase.

In many ways, one could hypothetically view proper instrumental music education as the process of making all accidental playing intentional.  This process takes place most effectively when pursued under the appropriate student-teacher mentorship.  However, this is just a short article aimed at getting the ball rolling.  With that understood here are a few suggestions to begin the process on your own.

1) Practice slow with the intention of leading with your ear and your mind and reverse the process in which you execute.

Practice slow but not with the traditional intention of "playing more accurately."  Instead, practice slow in order to insure that you are hearing the sounds you would like to create "before" striking the instrument.  Your mind and your ear will conceptualize what you are doing before you do it.  The physical act of striking the instrument then follows.  Try this simple task and you will truly discover that your perspective and emphasis will have shifted. You will gradually start reversing the process from one in which you strike the instrument and then respond and chase to one in which you conceptualize first and then play what is already there.  

2) Honestly asses your technical development with each new passage and exercise patience.

A less verbose way of saying this might be "take your time and only learn new things when ready."  Much of the accidental phrasing I see is the clear result of players playing music that is technically out of their league.  In today's world of mass education, YouTube videos, and endless Facebook posts and discussions about "who is playing what," it's truly a challenge to be honest with oneself about what actually needs to be done vs what one wishes could be done.  Be honest and focus on where you actually are rather than where you would like to be and you will naturally gravitate toward things on your level.  This will allow you more control of what you are playing.  By doing this you will naturally be able to play with greater intention.

3) Strive to acquire music as a language.

It seems that every article I post has some sort of reference to this.  The more you perceive music fundamentally as a language the easier your playing will be.  You will be communicating through your instrument rather than attempting to overcome it. Of course there certainly is a lot more to it than that but at it's core music is only a universal language and a vehicle for communication.  This is the truth.  

4) Learn true relaxation, breathing, and good posture to properly channel the flow of energy.

Learning to properly channel the flow of energy through your body helps immensely. First, you must strive to remove all tension from your playing.  This may seem obvious but unintended tension in one's playing leads to a lack of control and accidental phrasing. Learning to relax and slowly work toward goals while asking yourself if you are able to control and manipulate the phrases with ease will insure that you are indeed able to ultimately control and manipulate the phrases.

Regarding relaxation and flow of energy posture also plays an important role.  If you are leaning over your instrument with your elbows behind your back then you are fundamentally disrupting the natural flow of energy.  This too leads to tension and ultimately awkward and unintentional phrasing.  Posture is extremely important and I hope to explore it further in future articles.

Finally, breathing is another way to properly channel the flow of energy.  If you are holding your breath while playing (all too common) than you are most likely creating some sort of tension.  "Breathing Coordination" insures that the oxygen is flowing to your brain.  It promotes openness and awareness of your actions and tremendous relaxation. Breathing is yet another important topic that I hope to explore further in future articles.  It is without a doubt an often overlooked piece of the puzzle on the road to control and intention.

Closing

It's worth repeating that in many ways learning to play an instrument is simply the process of making all accidental phrasing intentional.  For many, learning how to phrase intentionally will be the beginning of true freedom.  Be sure that your ultimate musical goal is to intentionally phrase, lead with your mind and your ear, and to control and manipulate sound.  Good luck!