Hello and welcome to today's music lesson.

I'm Miss Mansell and I'm gonna be your teacher for today.

Let's get started.

Today's lesson outcome is, I can analyze how performance directions are detailed to our composition and can use some of these in my own composition.

Let's have a look at some keywords for today.

Sustain pedal, that's the pedal that sustains notes on a piano.

Its use is indicated by markings below the stave.

Rubato, an Italian term indicating that a performer can change the tempo slightly to add expression.

Subito, an Italian term indicating that something should happen suddenly.

Poco a poco, an Italian term meaning little by little, indicating that something should happen gradually.

Slur, a marking that means that notes should be played legato and that shows their phrasing.

Today's lesson on adding detail with performance directions is in two parts.

Part one is analyzing a solo piano fantasy, and part two is using performance directions in your composition.

Let's get started with part one, analyzing a solo piano fantasy.

The purpose of notation is to communicate a composer's intentions to the performer.

The notation should allow the performer to recreate the music as the composer intended.

One of the important ways that composers can do this is through the use of performance directions.

These are the details that tell performers how the music should be played.

Can you think of any examples of performance directions that you have seen written in music?

Have a think.

Performance directions can include tempo descriptors, for example, presto or specific BPM, or beats per minute.

Tempo changes, for example, accelerando, rallentando.

Articulations such as slurs, staccato, or accents.

Dynamic markings, for example, forte or dynamic changes such as crescendo.

Instrument specific techniques.

For example, a pedal or pizzicato.

More detailed terms, for example, subito or poco a poco, and any other instructions that you think would help a performer to match your intentions as a composer.

Have a listen to this "Fantasy For Solo Piano" without the notation.

What specific performance directions would you expect to see in the music?

Have a listen to it now.

Let's identify some of the different types of performance directions that are used in this composition.

In this score, you'll see that this composer uses a range of different tempo descriptors to add detail for the performer.

The opening and ending are largo, which means very slow.

There are sections of poco piu mosso, meaning a little more movement.

There is also a prostissimo section at the climax, meaning extremely fast.

Using Italian terms like these gives the performer some flexibility to choose their own exact tempo, because every performer will interpret the terms slightly differently.

If as a composer you want a very specific tempo, it's best to give an exact BPM, that's beats per minute.

This piece is inspired by the tide coming in and going out.

The tempo changes help tell this story, and the composer uses various directions to achieve this.

As the tempo builds the composer indicates this with accelerando, that's shortened to accel on the score.

They add the phrase poco a poco to this, meaning little by little.

This is an important detail that makes it clear to the performer that the tempo should increase gradually, not suddenly.

When the tempo slows, the composer uses rallentando, which means gradually slow down.

At one point, the composer wants this to be more noticeable and less gradual, so they use ritardando.

There are also sections at the start and the end directed as rubato, where the performer can add expression by being flexible with the tempo.

You can see an example here.

Combined with the tempo descriptors, this provides clear directions for the performer.

Let's do a check for understanding.

What is the purpose of performance directions?

Pause and have a think.

You could have said something like, "They help to communicate the composer's intentions to the performer by indicating how the music should be played.

" There is a similar level of detail in the dynamic markings, ranging from fortissimo, so you see that as a double F, which means very loud, to pianississsimo, which is a triple piano, which is very, very quiet.

The dynamics change to paint a picture of waves coming in and out.

The way the dynamics change vary significantly.

As seen below, the composer indicates a crescendo or diminuendo using either words or the symbols.

At other times, they use sudden changes indicated by the word subito, which means suddenly.

The articulation in this composition is mostly legato, although there is some use of tenuto accents.

This suits the fluid smooth movement of the waves.

The slow marks are used to show that the note should be played legato, but also how they should be phrased.

In this example, the composer wants the triplets played legato, phrased in groups of six.

What's unusual about the phrasing in the right and left hands?

Have a look at the score.

Hope you spotted that the right hand phrases start on beat one and three, and the left on two and four.

See that highlighted here?

A key data that could be included in a piano composition is how the sustained pedal should be used, creating a particular effect.

This composition uses the sustained pedal a lot, creating a wash of sounds that imitates the power of the waves.

The composer indicates this with the pedal markings below the stave.

You can see them on the score here, so you can see where it says ped.

That's where you press the pedal down, and then the marking at the end means that you release the pedal.

Other instrument specific techniques that you might add include pizzicato, so plucking, arco, bowing those are both for string instruments really, con sordino, which is adding a mute, so you could use that for string instruments or brass, and col legno, again, another string technique.

If no standard term describes the effect you want, you can use your own words.

In this piece, the composer gives the performer freedom to create a gradual fade by repeating the four by phrase as many times as they wish, getting quieter until it blends into the next section.

You can see that instruction on the score there.

Composers also add performance directions to describe the mood or expression that they want.

In the opening and ending section of this composition, the composer uses the term espressivo, which means expressively.

They later use the term wave-like.

While these are not specific instructions, they give the performer an idea of the mood or feeling that they should try to create.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Which of these is not a performance direction.

Is it A, allegro.

B, C minor.

C, crescendo, or D, pedal markings?

Pause and have a think.

I hope you all got B, C minor.

That's a key, not a performance direction.

Let's have a look at task A.

We want you to have a listen to the whole composition and then write a paragraph explaining how the composer has used detailed performance directions to enhance the composition and create clarity for the performer.

So pause now, have a listen to the composition and write your paragraph.

How did you get on?

You could have mentioned, tempo descriptors, for example, presto, largo or poco piu mosso.

Tempo changes, for example, accelerando, rallentando, ritardando, or rubato.

Articulations such as slurs or tenuto accents.

Dynamic markings, for example, fortissimo, and dynamic changes such as crescendo or diminuendo.

Instrument specific techniques such as pedal markings.

More detailed terms, for example, subito, or poco a poco, or mood terms such as espressivo or wave-like, or highlighted the instruction for fading out.

I hope you managed to include a lot of those in your paragraph.

Let's move on to part two of the lesson, using performance directions in your composition.

When adding performance directions, think about how much detail you want.

Some composers give very precise instructions, such as a BPM for the tempo, or precise instructions to help create very specific effects.

Others give broader directions that allow performers some freedom to interpret the instructions as they wish, such as crescendo poco a poco.

What matters most is that your markings help the performer to recreate the musical effect you intended.

Which term translates as little by little, meaning gradually?

Is it A, subito, B, rubato, C, poco a poco, or D, rallentando?

Have a think.

Well, then if you've got C, poco a poco means little by little.

Let's do task B.

Reflect on your composition.

If a performer played it, would they have all of the detailed information that they need to perform it exactly as you intended?

Identify some ways in which you can use performance directions to add detail to your composition, and then refine your composition using the performance directions you have identified above.

And here's some directions you might want to consider.

So tempo descriptors, tempo changes, articulation, dynamic markings, instrument specific techniques, more detailed terms, mood terms, or any other instructions that you think would help a performer to match your intentions as a composer.

Pause the lesson video now and have a go at refining your composition.

How have you got on?

Reflect on the changes you have made to your composition.

Use these questions to help you consider your next steps.

What performance directions have you used?

Have you detailed the tempo, dynamics, and articulation in your piece?

Have you considered using precise terms like subito and poco a poco for even more detail?

Do you think a performer would have enough detail to perform it exactly as you intended?

Are there any other performance directions that you could add to refine your composition even further?

Let's summarize today's lesson.

Performance directions are an important aspect of a composition.

They allow composers to precisely communicate their intentions to the performer.

These include tempo markings, dynamics, articulation, mood terms, and instrument specific techniques.

You can add more detail by using terms like subito, which means suddenly, and poco a poco, which means little by little.

Thank you for joining me for today's lesson.