Quick Fix Friday: Don’t Swell on Long Notes

The title pretty much sums it up today’s quick fix, but let me elaborate.

For whatever reason, musicians tend to get lazy with longer or sustained notes. Maybe you’re just glad to be done with the technical passage that came before. Maybe you’re dreaming of splurging on guacamole at Chipotle tonight (no judgement here).

Whatever the reason, make sure that the dynamic of longer notes correlates to what comes before and after.  If you have a crescendo leading up to a whole note, maintain the volume – but don’t swell. By all means continue the intensity, but make a conscious and educated decision to swell on long notes. Just because longer notes are boring aren’t as difficult as what comes before or after, they should still have dynamic symmetry and not stick out.

Happy Friday, and happy practicing!