How to Orchestrate a Melody for a Rubato Ballad
("Everything Happens to Me" Solo Piano)
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When orchestrating a rubato ballad, remember that you do not have to stick to the original # of beats/bars per chord. Taking your time with phrases can create drama and taking your time also allows the melodic phrases to have impact. (Imagine if you listened to a speech where they took no pauses or periods and everything was just a run on sentence. Waiting after a phrase gives emphasis to what was said and gives it time to make an impact on the listener). But don't drag out every phrase either. So you have to strike a balance between moving some phrases along quicker and taking time.
Another thing to consider when playing a rubato ballad, is finding ways to create motion so that it's not just blocks of chords. Check out how that is achieved in this excerpt via inner voice movements, breaking up the individual voices of a voicing and active LH figures, among other textures. This is from a special LIVE solo piano performance at Libretto in Paso Robles, CA on 5/15/24. To watch the FULL performance, CLICK HERE. |