12 polyrhythmic études for piano
Class
Article
College
Caine College of the Arts
Faculty Mentor
Kevin Olson
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Throughout my years of playing and teaching the piano, I have observed that the accurate execution of polyrhythmic figures poses an obstacle for many pianists. While there are many instructional books on this topic for percussionists, a methodical approach to the acquisition of complex rhythms has yet to be offered to pianists.Pianists frequently face 2:3, 3:4, and other polyrhythms in the classical literature. Composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff feature these figurations often in their music. The polyrhythm itself is often roughly approximated in performance, leading to a flawed interpretation. A set of studies for piano, which would explore and develop some of these common polyrhythms could be a great benefit to intermediate and early advanced students. By using simple harmonic textures and familiar melodic lines, the variable of rhythm can be isolated for focused and direct study.While rhythmic etudes for the piano have been written (most notably the set of 18 by Ligeti), their principle focus is on meter and accent patterns, rather than on polyrhythms. The aim of this research is to compose a set of 12 rhythmic etudes for piano, one in each key, which would act as a workshop or training ground forpianists seeking to develop dexterity and fluency in polyrhythmic music. The project will be a musical score for piano with some written guidelines. The research will produce a set of valuable rhythmic etudes for aspiring pianists. A published version can be made available for teaching and performance.
Location
Room 154
Start Date
4-12-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2018 4:15 PM
12 polyrhythmic études for piano
Room 154
Throughout my years of playing and teaching the piano, I have observed that the accurate execution of polyrhythmic figures poses an obstacle for many pianists. While there are many instructional books on this topic for percussionists, a methodical approach to the acquisition of complex rhythms has yet to be offered to pianists.Pianists frequently face 2:3, 3:4, and other polyrhythms in the classical literature. Composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff feature these figurations often in their music. The polyrhythm itself is often roughly approximated in performance, leading to a flawed interpretation. A set of studies for piano, which would explore and develop some of these common polyrhythms could be a great benefit to intermediate and early advanced students. By using simple harmonic textures and familiar melodic lines, the variable of rhythm can be isolated for focused and direct study.While rhythmic etudes for the piano have been written (most notably the set of 18 by Ligeti), their principle focus is on meter and accent patterns, rather than on polyrhythms. The aim of this research is to compose a set of 12 rhythmic etudes for piano, one in each key, which would act as a workshop or training ground forpianists seeking to develop dexterity and fluency in polyrhythmic music. The project will be a musical score for piano with some written guidelines. The research will produce a set of valuable rhythmic etudes for aspiring pianists. A published version can be made available for teaching and performance.