How physical experience and inner hearing prepare the ground for true expression
There are many ways to “know” a piece of music. Some musicians know a piece with their fingers — a kind of tactile familiarity built through repetition. Others know it visually, by following the shapes and gestures of the score. But there is another, deeper way of knowing: when the music has been fully embodied — absorbed into one’s breath, pulse, and voice before ever being filtered through the mechanism of the instrument.
Before we play, before we analyze, before we even count, we can experience music as a physical event — one that moves through the body. This is not an abstract idea. It is a deeply practical starting point. Just as a member of a tribe might move instinctively in response to a ritual rhythm — not as a performance, but as a way of aligning with something greater — we too can return to that place where music is first felt, shaped by breath and gesture, anchored in pulse and intention.
This article offers a series of examples and reflections drawn from the opening of a two-voice piano piece included in Piano Development L9, a volume currently in preparation and soon to be published. Six books from the series — Piano Development L2 through L7 — have already been released, and Piano Development L1 will follow shortly. I’ll return to the structure and content of the full series of these books in a future article.
The exercises that follow are not mere technical drills, but moments of embodied awareness designed to awaken a stronger internal connection to the music. They are intended for students who have already cultivated a foundation in musicianship — or for those who wish to re-center their playing on more natural ground.
What follows is not a step-by-step method, but a traceable path: one that begins with rhythm as felt motion, develops through vocalization and expressive shaping, and leads gradually toward confident, coordinated instrumental performance. Throughout this process, the instrument remains silent until the musical idea is fully alive within the performer. And when it is finally brought to the keyboard, the act of playing is no longer an exercise in control — it becomes a release of something already known.
II. The Physical Imprint of Rhythm: Coordination Through Experience
Before the first note is sung or played, rhythm must be experienced as gesture. Not just felt internally, but physically enacted. In this way, rhythm becomes embodied — not something added to music later, but its very root.
The first example in this article presents the rhythmic structure of a single melodic line. At this stage, we intentionally remove pitch and staff notation. What remains is the pure temporal identity of the phrase — its breath, weight, and flow.
Example 1 – Rhythmic Structure of the First Melodic Line
This image will be used in a variety of exercises that shift the student’s attention from execution to awareness. Each practice, simple on the surface, activates a different layer of musical coordination:
Clap the rhythm while pronouncing rhythm syllables
Clap the rhythm while counting out loud the beats
Tap the rhythm with the palm of the left hand while maintaining a steady beat using a pencil held in the right hand
Tap the rhythm with the left hand while tapping the same rhythm as a canon with the right hand, beginning precisely where the second voice would enter
🎧 Audio Example: Canon Tapping – Palm and Pencil
This audio illustrates Exercise 4, where the left hand taps the rhythm using the palm, and the right hand, holding a pencil, taps the same rhythm as a canon. This practice strengthens the performer’s ability to coordinate two identical rhythmic streams in time offset, while fostering internal awareness of horizontal structure.
🎼 Notation Detail In the graphic, the entrance point of the second voice is marked by a small number “2” placed above the second note of the rhythmic line. This is a common notational strategy used to indicate where the second voice in a canon should begin.
Each variation serves a purpose:
The use of rhythm syllables develops verbal-motor connection
Counting aloud reinforces metrical awareness
Combining rhythm and beat across hands builds layered coordination
Canon tapping trains anticipation, independence, and horizontal listening
Notably, the second voice is not written out. This is intentional: the student must mentally project the second line using only the entrance point and their internal rhythmic memory. This strengthens the ability to hear and organize musical structure horizontally, rather than relying on visually stacked notation. The absence of full notation is not a simplification — it is a stimulus for mental autonomy.
III. Giving Rhythm a Voice: Sol-fa Singing and Internalization
Once rhythm has been embodied through gesture, the next natural step is to give it pitch — not through the instrument, but through the voice. By singing, we begin to internalize melody in a way that links breath, timing, and tone. This allows the performer to establish a vivid inner model of the phrase, fully shaped before a single note is played.
In this phase, we use tonic sol-fa, a relative solmisation system where doh represents the tonic of the major scale regardless of key. The syllables do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti — abbreviated as d, r, m, f, s, l, t — help students place each note within a tonal context, giving both meaning and direction to the intervals they sing.
The melodic excerpt explored here lies within a limited diatonic space, specifically the first five degrees of the natural minor mode: la, ti, do, re, mi. Though only a brief fragment, it is enough to begin shaping the student’s aural sense of modal color and melodic phrasing.
The act of singing can now begin. In the following audio example, the same melodic line is sung using sol-fa syllables in a natural, straightforward manner — just as a student might do when first sight-singing: with care for pitch and rhythm, but without intentional expressive shaping.
Example 2 – Audio
This sung example mirrors the early stage of learning, where the goal is correct intonation and rhythmic stability — laying the foundation for more expressive shaping to come.
At this point, the performer is already activating multiple dimensions of musicianship — pitch recognition, rhythm coordination, tonal orientation — all before approaching the piano. This deep internal preparation becomes a mental anchor for everything that will follow.
IV. Singing with Expression: Breath and Interpretation
Once pitch and rhythm have been stabilized through initial vocal practice, the next vital stage is to sing with expression. Here, the goal is no longer accuracy alone, but the shaping of the phrase according to musical intention — an intention guided by breath, contour, and inner narrative.
This interpretive dimension begins with the voice. Even before approaching the instrument, expressive singing encourages the student to form an emotional and structural understanding of the phrase. Phrasing decisions, breath pacing, and intensity shaping begin to emerge — and these, in turn, become internalized models that will guide later performance.
Example 3 – Audio
In this sung version, the student (or teacher) explores one of the many possible expressive interpretations. Breath gestures, inflection, intensity changes, and natural tapering at phrase endings help shape the musical idea into a living, breathing gesture.
Interpretation in this sense is not about imposing affectation. It arises from awareness — of the phrase’s direction, harmonic implications, melodic tension, and resolution. Students who engage in this level of vocal exploration begin to understand phrasing from the inside out, developing instincts that are later transferred to the keyboard with remarkable immediacy.
Example 3 – Expressive Version of the Melodic Line
This version mirrors the expressive interpretation heard in Example 3. Visual signs (breath marks, crescendos, slurs, etc.) are introduced not as prescriptive markings but as reflections of what was first shaped and internalized vocally.
It is important to emphasize that no single interpretation is final. The version presented here is one among many — an expressive possibility chosen based on aesthetic, stylistic, and harmonic considerations. The key is that interpretation emerges from within a solid musical understanding, not from arbitrary taste.
This process — from structure to nuance, from neutral phrasing to expressive intent — builds the bridge from musicianship to performance. And it all begins with the breath.
V. Entering the Dialogue: Introducing the Second Voice
Once the first melodic line is fully embodied, sung, and shaped expressively, attention shifts to the second voice — not as an added layer of complexity, but as an integral part of the piano piece itself. Its introduction invites the student to deepen their sense of polyphonic awareness, as the musical texture evolves from a single line into a genuine contrapuntal dialogue.
This new melodic line enters as a canon, imitating the rhythmic profile of the first voice while presenting a melodically distinct counterpoint. Rather than a literal replication, it reflects the imitative character of contrapuntal writing — stylistically integrated with the original line, yet independently shaped. This approach reinforces memory, rhythmic precision, and musical anticipation while fostering awareness of the unique role each voice plays within the musical texture.
Example 4 – Rhythmic Sol-fa of the Second Voice
Though only presented in summary, the same pedagogical path followed with the first voice is now applied to the second: clapping, tapping, rhythm syllables, and expressive shaping through breath and gesture. Each voice, even when practiced in isolation, is treated as a complete musical statement — one that deserves both technical care and interpretive intent.
As the student becomes familiar with the second voice, an effective strategy to abstract the phrasing from pitch labeling is to sing it using a neutral syllable — such as la, lo, lu, or ma, etc. This approach strengthens internal hearing and shifts the focus toward line, breath, and nuance — as a natural evolution of the foundational work done through solmisation.
This second melodic line, when analyzed independently, also lies within a minor pentachord, but takes its tonal reference from the last five degrees (r, m, f, s, l’) of the first melodic line. This melodic relation creates an Aeolian resonance — a subtle but evocative flavor that distinguishes the imitative voice from the original while preserving structural coherence.
Example 5 – Audio
This version presents the second voice sung expressively using a neutral syllable, bringing attention to dynamic shaping, articulation, and breath flow — following the foundational work done with sol-fa syllables.
Example 5 – Expressive Notation of the Second Voice
At this stage, the two voices are still not performed together. Each is internalized as a distinct identity. Only when both can be sung — and later played — independently, with expressive intent, should they be brought together.
This method strengthens not only hand independence at the piano, but more importantly, musical independence: the ability to follow two expressive lines simultaneously without collapsing them into a vertical harmonic reading. Each hand becomes a soloist with its own narrative — precisely what contrapuntal music demands.
VI. Coordinated Voices at the Keyboard: Playing as Singing
Once both melodic lines have been fully internalized through clapping, singing, and expressive shaping, the time arrives to bring them together at the piano. This is not merely a technical challenge, but a coordinated convergence of two musical identities. Each hand is now expected to perform with the same autonomy, expressiveness, and phrasing once attributed to the voice.
Before doing so, however, the student may engage in further transitional activities that reinforce internal independence and polyphonic awareness:
Singing the first melodic line while tapping its canon entrance rhythm with the other hand
Tapping the rhythm of the first line while singing the second voice aloud
Singing one voice while playing the other on the instrument, alternating roles between hands
These options, along with those previously presented, are not meant to define a fixed sequence. They represent a small sampling of the many possible activities that can support this stage of musical development. What to choose, when to introduce it, how long to persist, and how to weave in earlier steps again — all of this defines a method, but not in the sense of a rigid progression from a printed book.
A true method is shaped through the teacher’s critical insight, sensitivity to the student’s moment, and awareness of the deeper pedagogical trajectory. It is not a checklist of activities, but an evolving process that responds to the expressive and cognitive needs of the learner.
Example 6 – Audio
This recording presents both melodic lines played together, with careful attention to line shaping, balance, and independent phrasing between the two voices.
Example 6 – Complete Notation of Both Voices
This example shows the original two-voice excerpt as it appears in the score. Though compact and economical, each line carries its own expressive weight. Their union creates a counterpoint of gestures that the performer must negotiate with clarity and control.
When played together, these two voices don’t simply align vertically — they breathe independently, interact, and inform each other. The pianist must not merely shift attention from one line to the other, but rather develop the ability to control both voices as autonomous, expressive entities within a broader texture. This texture — perceived first as a single musical gesture — arises from the balanced interplay of distinct lines, each with its own phrasing, inflection, and direction.
Ultimately, the hands do not “coordinate” in a conventional sense. Rather, they coexist, guided by a shared internal model — one shaped through the embodied experience of rhythm, breath, and sound long before the hands met the keyboard.
VII. Beyond the Barline: Developing Metric Perception and Structural Awareness
Having reached a stage where both melodic lines can be played together with expressive independence, we now take one more step: expanding awareness beyond the measure. This step no longer focuses on hands or fingers, but on the performer’s ability to perceive structure horizontally, and to project rhythmic identity across asymmetries.
In the piece at hand, the two voices — though rhythmically related — do not begin together. The first melodic line starts on the first beat of the measure, while the second voice enters as a canon, exactly one half-note (minim) later, on beat two. This offset immediately suggests a hidden layer: the metric identities of the two voices are not fully synchronized.
Example 7 – The Second Voice Re-centered
This graphic example invites the student to experience the second voice in alignment with the metric structure typically reserved for the primary line. By presenting it as if it begins on beat one of the measure, the exercise allows for a more intuitive perception of phrase shaping, breathing, and formal balance — revealing how metric alignment can influence expressive understanding.
This reorientation cultivates a deeper independence of hearing and thinking. The student no longer relies exclusively on fixed barlines, but begins to grasp that meter and phrase structure are perceptual and expressive, not merely visual. It becomes possible to reframe the entire texture, asking questions such as:
How does phrasing evolve when we move beyond the predetermined and schematic subdivision of the bar? This question leads us to consider how expressive phrasing emerges from tension and resolution, motion and breath — not simply from the metric accents suggested by time signatures. (A future article will explore the important distinction between meter and time signature in greater detail.)
How do we perceive polyphonic music, and how do we train our sensibility to hear it? As the ability to follow multiple independent voices grows, we begin to understand that polyphonic awareness isn’t reserved only for strict counterpoint. In fact, it becomes the foundation for perceiving horizontal movement in virtually all music — even music we tend to process vertically, by stacking chords or isolating gestures.
How much do standard notational symbols shape — and sometimes bias — our interpretation? This kind of exploration highlights the degree to which performers are often guided by visual conventions (like aligned barlines and phrase markings), rather than by inner hearing and structural intent. By challenging these conventions, we begin to restore a more flexible and personal relationship with interpretation.
Example 8 – Cross-Metric Notation
In this graphic, the time signature for the second voice is moved to beat two of the first voice’s starting measure, and the barlines no longer coincide. This layout challenges the student to perceive the contrapuntal dialogue across shifting metric frames, reinforcing the idea that music unfolds horizontally, not just in stacked, vertical alignment.
This level of engagement is not reserved for the advanced pianist. Even at early stages, it can plant the seeds of structural listening — where the performer is no longer guided by surface rhythm alone, but by a mental model of phrase, flow, and interaction.
VIII. From Technique to Intent: Internalization as Interpretation
At this stage, the student is no longer “reading” or “executing” the music — they are inhabiting it. The hands respond not to external instructions but to an internalized musical image, shaped over time through rhythm, solmisation, breath, phrasing, and polyphonic awareness.
This transition, subtle but profound, marks the difference between technical control and artistic intent. The performer is no longer preoccupied with fingerings, notes, or coordination, but instead moves within a pre-heard world, where sound is anticipated, felt, and shaped from within.
This, ultimately, is the aim of musicianship training: not simply to prepare the student for instrumental playing, but to infuse playing itself with embodied understanding. The exercises shown throughout this article are not an endpoint — they are snapshots, glimpses into what becomes possible when internal hearing, physical awareness, and expressive clarity are nurtured together.
These steps, while specific, are not prescriptions. They belong to a wider continuum, one that each teacher must navigate with insight, adaptability, and depth of vision. A method is not a sequence — it is a living process, built moment by moment, lesson by lesson, on the foundation of listening and intent.
Final Thoughts & Invitation
The examples explored in this article illustrate how a well-developed sense of musicianship can guide and elevate instrumental performance. But none of these outcomes occur by chance — they emerge through consistent, intentional, and well-planned practice.
A thoughtful practice routine doesn’t just build fluency; it fosters clarity, confidence, and expressive independence. The way we structure our work — choosing which activities to focus on, how long to dwell in each phase, and when to revisit key processes — is often what makes the real difference in long-term development.
This is also the principle that inspires my coaching services. If you’re interested in exploring these ideas more deeply, or applying them to your own practice in a personalized way, I’d be happy to work with you individually.
🎵 Download the Full Score
As a gift to readers, you can now download the full piece used throughout this article: No. 27 from Piano Development L9. The score is intentionally presented without expressive markings, allowing you to engage directly with the interpretative process and apply the strategies discussed above.
If the ideas explored in this article resonate with you and you’d like to deepen your musicianship through guided, one-on-one sessions, I currently offer personalised coaching, including exploring how Kodály’s pedagogical principles can be thoughtfully adapted to instrumental practice. Whether you’re a student or teacher, feel free to get in touch via the Contact page to explore how we might work together.
💬 Let’s Stay in Dialogue
If this article has sparked any thoughts or reflections, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your impressions in the comments — or let me know how you approached the piece, what you discovered, or what questions arose along the way.
Whether you’re a student, teacher, or simply curious, your voice adds value to this ongoing exploration of meaningful practice.
