What is Voicing on the Piano? 

He’s terrific!

One other thing: I am glad you said what you did about portato (slurred staccato). I have heard so much contradictory nonsense about this, including at masterclasses where certain professors swore that it HAD to be played one way or the other.

Do professional pianists voice chords like classical pianists do? Or were you just referring to amateur jazz pianists?

Do at least professional jazz pianists voice chords like classical pianists do? Or were you just referring to amateur jazz pianists?

@@haasee1443 On further reflection, I think that my complaint has more to do with the nature of certain styles of jazz music than with the way in which jazz pianists play. In much of jazz piano, there is essentially only one voice, usually played in the right hand, with the left hand playing a series of chords whose purpose is to provide a kind of harmonic environment for the melody to swim around in. Since none of the notes of the chords are thought of as individual voices, co-equal with the right hand melody, there's no point in emphasizing one over the other. The chords are thought of as "voicings"--FMaj13#11 for example--with no particular note being more important than any other. It's the overall effect that matters. Thus no need for voicing the chord in the sense that Dr. Mortensen is discussing. Since I prefer polyphonic music, I find this type of jazz unsatisfying. So to answer your question, some do and some don't. It all depends on what they are trying to accomplish.

Musicians' vocabulary and word choices is effed up. Constantly overloading words and misusing terminology. Especially in jazz.

For starting a piece at the correct dynamic level: Place hands in starting position. Make sure your fingers are connected to the keys. Play the FIRST note only. Listen to the dynamic level and determine if it is correct. Then repeat and drill, with FIRST note only. No other notes. Adjust until you can play that first note consistently. Notice that your dynamic level has a certain kinisthetic feel. Some dynamics you will need to sink into the keys, some will require a specific articulation, some will need a firm touch, some a lighter touch. Once this is consistent, the other notes flow much easier with the correct dynamic level. Drill daily until rock solid.

Debussy - Rêverie

Close to non legato, notes still separate but held back a little bit depending on the notated duration.

Indeed

s9.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/9/97/IMSLP14012-Debussy_-_R%C3%AAverie_(piano).pdf

Most pre college teachers don’t know what voicing is, so professors get to introduce it.

​@@carolpdx7That's shocking! I'm self taught, mostly through some method books and a lot of RU-vid piano teachers, but the ones I've followed have stressed voicing, dynamics, phrasing, because these are techniques that benefit from good, early habits. That's crazy to me that taught students might reach college-level without them!

The worst dynamics I ever heard in my life was from a college student who aced thus bypassed all of music theory and was chosen as 1st piano player in jazz ensemble yet had zero expressionistic playing ability. She must have had many years of dedicated piano tutoring in hs years but had zero musicality to her playing, her entire 1st year of college, not sure what happened after that, hope she improved, otherwise ...it just was not "music" being played.

@@Stupoider thought the same! I've been playing for one year and know about it (but am doing it ofc not very well yet haha)

It depends on the teacher and the student. Most students, if they started at a very young age, will probably quit by the time they reach intermediate, or high school anyway. Then you have students who enjoy playing, maybe accompanying their friends or playing a little recital. Their teachers will probably emphasize learning a wide variety of music, going from era to era, in which case a student might learn very basic voicing. You always get taught to “ bring out the melody,” for example. But if you have a prodigy, a student who is going to practice 40 hours a day and love every minute of it, their teachers will notice that, and move into more advanced areas, such as voicing. Such students often don’t wind up in a regular college music program, they will end up at a music conservatory. And they will wind up competing, where voicing becomes very important. Often the way pianists distinguish themselves is by the choices they make in terms of voicing. Audiences love to hear familiar pieces; they also love to hear new things in those familiar pieces, and if a pianist can bring out a new voice, essentially a new melody, in a piece that’s been heard 100 times, that’s kind of exciting.

Most of the famous composers lived in a world of music, surrounded at all times by many musicians playing all instruments, going to concerts and operas frequently, and writing for a variety of ensembles every day. It would not occur to them that anyone would play the piano and not know about scoring for other instruments.

Maybe try writing and playing your own music, which is possible to perform as you desire, rather than playing other peoples music, if it is not physically possible... many artists have excelled at their own unique sound, in that way.