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Hi all! A regular member of pianoworld made a great suggestion about clearing up the meaning of 'cantabile' - can-tar-bill-lay.
The definition is 'song-like' or 'singing style'. And on youtube vids (one or two of them only) teaching cantabile, the vids appear to be more about playing the left hand or accompaniment softly (or softer) and the melody more pronounced or louder --- in general that is.
But a few of us in the digital piano forum are thinking that - according to the definition - that 'song-like' (even without words) is really along the lines of giving the impression of 'singing' - as in song birds, or an impression of a human singing.
And my own personal opinion that getting an impression of 'song-like' depends on what tune is being played (eg. a particular sequence of notes, and particular combinations of notes), and also on the particular sort of timbre/sound a particular piano has, apart from how we play (soft/loud) the notes.
I made a quick example to give somebody my own take on impression of 'singing' in some sections of [LINK]
The discussions about 'singing' started off at thread, and the word 'cantabile' eventually came up. But nobody is certain about the actual meaning due to maybe a lack of teaching examples that actually allow somebody to fully understand what 'song-like' actually means (eg. lesson - I can hear her playing - but don't get the 'song like' feel ------ although, I'm thinking that if she just removes the left hand accompaniment, and then focus/hear only the right-hand, then the song-like qualities might start to come out a bit, as the left-hand is drawing attention away from the song-like portions).
Would anyone - teachers and all - like to add and give some nice clear examples to demonstrate cantabile? Thanks very much! This only to get a good handle on actual meaning of cantabile.
Cantabile means in a signing style and on the piano (a real one not a digital) it can only be done through illusion. Some things that may help achieve the illusion include connecting the melody very legato (overlapping the notes) and listening carefully to the decay of each note and adjusting the dynamics so that the next note in the phrase comes out as if it was sung smoothly by a person. It's very difficult to do well.
Sidokar. Thanks for posting that example. I can hear song-like and singing-like qualities in that particular piece there. It really looks like the particular tune (sequence of notes) and the way somebody plays it, plus the sound of the piano (eg. timbre and reverb) ----- the combination - allows the impression to come out.
The breath of a singer gets gradually quieter and quieter, until they need to take another breath. That's what cantabile is trying to create on the piano.
Cantabile means in a signing style and on the piano (a real one not a digital) it can only be done through illusion. Some things that may help achieve the illusion include connecting the melody very legato (overlapping the notes) and listening carefully to the decay of each note and adjusting the dynamics so that the next note in the phrase comes out as if it was sung smoothly by a person. It's very difficult to do well.
I gave an example (of song-like) on a digital piano for some other pianoworld member to hear (vidlink) - and I reckon it depends on the sort of sound from a piano (including reverb and dynamics - what you mentioned, and maybe the sort of tune or sequences being played contribute to it as well).
My example is probably linked/tied in some way to cantabile. Before that thread in the original post, I hadn't heard of that word before. But getting to understanding it now.
The breath of a singer gets gradually quieter and quieter, until they need to take another breath. That's what cantabile is trying to create on the piano. LINK
I gave an example (of song-like) on a digital piano for some other pianoworld member to hear (vidlink) - and I reckon it depends on the sort of sound from a piano (including reverb and dynamics - what you mentioned, and maybe the sort of tune or sequences being played contribute to it as well).
My example is probably linked/tied in some way to cantabile. Before that thread in the original post, I hadn't heard of that word before. But getting to understanding it now.
Just correcting my vid link --- which should be: vidlink The focus in that vid is some portions song-like. And it's excellent that members are providing examples of cantabile, and we can hear song-like style in those examples provided from the members. Good examples. It's making the meaning of cantabile clear - clearer.
Cantabile = in a singing style or just "singing". (humans not birds) I think the idea is simple and straightforward but the execution requires skill. Cantabile playing can be done on both acoustic and digital pianos.The quality of the piano can make cantabile playing more difficult(if the piano has poor sustain).
Cantabile = in a singing style or just "singing". (humans not birds) I think the idea is simple and straightforward but the execution requires skill. Cantabile playing can be done on both acoustic and digital pianos. The quality of the piano can make cantabile playing more difficult (if the piano has poor sustain).
The breath of a singer gets gradually quieter and quieter, until they need to take another breath. That's what cantabile is trying to create on the piano.
As a singer, I have to disagree with this, respectfully. No one could sing artistically if they really were getting gradually quieter before every breath. It's true that cantabile requires a combination of dynamics and legato, and that the aim is to shape the phrase in imitation of a singing voice. But phrases differ in where the dynamic height will fall. Sometimes it's even at the end of the phrase (though of course the piano can't crescendo on a single note the way a voice can).
I'll also confess that singers sometimes have to sneak in a breath in the middle of a phrase--trying to make the re-entry dynamic match seamlessly so that no one will notice!
The breath of a singer gets gradually quieter and quieter, until they need to take another breath. That's what cantabile is trying to create on the piano.
As a singer, I have to disagree with this, respectfully. No one could sing artistically if they really were getting gradually quieter before every breath.
I think also, it helps not to look at this too formulaically. When human voice is concerned, there isn't a concrete, universal definition of what is singing, or what is good, artistic or correct signing, without additional context. Similarly, when I see "cantabile" in the annotations or instructions, I don't take it to mean "play it in a formulaic way such as make the melody line louder, or play each measure softer near the end." Rather, I look at the segment, try to determine what a singer might want to do with it, and then try to achieve that wrt pacing, tempo, ornamentation, dynamics, rubato, etc. at the keys. I don't actually know if this is correct but if I look at all the possible instructions for how to approach vocal parts, I come away thinking there are many ways be "singing."
'Cantabile' is frequently-used term in classical, especially for slow movements.
Here's a master of bel canto on piano, playing the Andante cantabile of Mozart's K330 as if a diva might sing it, hurrying the repeated notes, then slowing down to take in the view, with copious rubato, the voice sotto voce at times, almost a whisper:
but if I look at all the possible instructions for how to approach vocal parts, I come away thinking there are many ways be "singing."