What Does Rubato Mean in Music? Playing with Freedom

[@OrchestralOrg]

my scrabble opponent played rubato so i had to find out what it meant.

[@TheMrKeksLp]

lol

[@williamdrury-smith3972]

Lmao

[@thomaspick4123]

You mean it's not a Styx song? Mr. Rubato (roboto)?

[@thekkl]

Stuff like this is so useful for those who don't have teachers.

[@Snarethedrummer]

***** Find a teacher! ;) Skype lessons are a thing!

[@_peg_moore]

Matthew Helm yes, but some can't afford or are in communities which have few. I'm a NYC dance teacher. Seen all situations.

[@panamagrand]

Skype across states! (Or countries)

[@labradog05]

dont man dont waste money,

[@Snarethedrummer]

@No one cares not Zoomers, that's for sure!

[@jordillach3222]

_"What does rubato mean?"_ Well, this is a very easy question for us, romance language speakers, it means _stolen,_ it is the participle of the italian verb _rubare_ that means to steal. In Spanish it is _robar,_ as well as in Portuguese and in Catalan. You steal and then return tempo, that's the idea.

[@Williamsmith42]

Wonder if the police catch you!! what a musical fine you have to pay in order they set you free 😂

[@jordillach3222]

@@Williamsmith42 😄 Yeah, but speakers of non-romance languages must remember that being ignorant of the law does not exempt them from liability 😂

[@MiguelMarinho]

In Portuguese is roubar instead of Spanish robar.

[@whatabouttheearth]

The closest phrase for Tempo Robato in english is "borrowed time"

[@NeoZondix]

Basically, robbed

[@dennyb87]

3:43 ""That's a lot better isn't it ?" it gets me every time 😂

[@Ppuffdiddleydangdoof]

John Bonham, the drummer for Led Zeppelin was a master at this. He had such a keen sense of time that he could play behind and in front of the beat to create amazing funkiness. Bo Diddley liked to "turn the beat around" but I think that's different. Still funky as hell, but different. I never knew there was a name. Thank you for the wonderful lesson, professor and for your infectious zeal for learning.

[@v1982on]

Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Rubato.

[@charlesnorris8147]

That's what popped into my pea brain! LOL

[@Mr850man]

LMAO

[@girlwheels]

Rubato is something I never had a word for, but it's the key to musicality. I love how you play this Chopin piece.

[@ComposerKuandohan]

Robert says that Rubato is difficult to do, especially since someone should still be able to tap to the "big" beats to the piece. I agree with what he says, but I believe that if you feel like you should add more or less rubato, then go ahead and do it. You shouldn't sacrifice the emotion of the piece (which can only be channeled through your playing) because "keeping time." When you start to become aware of technical problems, that's when you lose your emotion and love for the music. This is why practice is key, because once you have the timing conditioned into you, you can play whatever piece with as much emotion as you want without becoming a technical worrywart with no emotion. Because in the end, you can add as much rubato as you want, but that can still sound emotionless when played without soul. Now it sounds like I'm discrediting this lesson. Robert gave a great lesson, I'm just making sure that people understand that just because there's rubato doesn't mean it creates soul. It's the player's soul that shines through when playing.

[@DeadManProp]

Like somebody once said "Learn everything you can, then forget about it and just play".

[@michaelcorcoran3942]

Pat I heard it was what someone said to Louis Armstrong, either way its the way to go.

[@RevanPorkins]

Correct but you must realize that know one can teach this to anyone only explain it. have to find it on your own imo.

[@alek8954]

You play this song better than any of the recordings I've heard. You ought to post a full version!

[@amigosXcorrespondenc]

Word! 😁

[@stefanvanoorschot2508]

This made me understand why I like Chopin so much. Thanks.

[@biavobitoficial916]

Mark Hammil's father?

[@kpoary5307]

Even he speak a little bit Joker

[@jonnamechange6854]

Both versions sounded great. Previously unaware, rubato is now another obstacle to my goal of becoming a learned musician.

[@mitchellgraham7060]

it seems kind of strange to view them as obstacles

[@BestiesWesties]

Just dance more, then you will pick up the concept. Always improving while dancing.

[@sk8rdad]

First version still had Rubato. Second version maybe a little too much but what do I know :) I'm still learning...

[@katiemoseley2384]

Do you know how hard it is to play romantic pieces without a little rubato

[@Torebordalpiano]

I agree completely. But he's probably played that piece for like 20 years, it'd be sooo hard not to avoid a little rubato.

[@Louisli5238]

hah??? so easy you don't know how to control ur hand?

[@PutItAway101]

It's less about control your hand and more about controlling your soul.Which is hard to do if you have a deep feeling for the way the music is meant to sound.

[@hopesonmakokha5217]

PutItAway101 well said!

[@whoopjohn]

Rubato means 'robbed' - you are robbing a bit of time from one beat to add to another.

[@dylanr4854]

Lol

[@kiraleskirales]

More like stolen actually but yes.

[@Koropokel]

explained something in one sentence what this guy took 10 minutes for

[@leviackerman1486]

Nice❤🖤

[@gc3209]

So romantic

[@romeyjomey4539]

1:52 no rubato 3:07 rubato

[@EminentJade]

thanks for saving my time

[@josealexandrearaujoalan851]

Mr. Estrin you help so many people with your videos. You're a true music lover and a gifted teacher. Thank you kindly from Brazil.

[@ΔημητραΠαπακυπριανου-υ8υ]

You are an amazing pedagogist, as the way you explain everything is clear and understandable. Also, you explain why and you use the right terms, I loved every second of the video

[@LivingPianosVideos]

I really appreciate that! I owe a great deal to my father, Morton Estrin, who was a great pianist and teacher who had the ability to reduce complex ideas into simple terms.

[@haviskam]

Loving the poetic way you present your videos. Man, I can listen to you for hours after a hard day's work.

[@GrantTarredus]

Thank you for this, Robert! I’m a non musician who bought and loves an album by Terre Thaemlitz titled Oh, No! It’s RUBATO (the title and cover art are nods to Devo’s album Oh, No! It’s DEVO), and I was unfamiliar with the term. Half an hour of reading shed very little light on the subject (which I now think seems a rather elusive one, possibly even to many musicians), but your demonstration made it clear and brought it into sharp focus for me. I do appreciate it!

[@afnanrauf364]

I have a music final tomorrow for music class. This helped a lot! Thanks for sharing. You play the piano incredibly.

[@tophan5146]

2:44 - Wow, I at first I was looking for 1/8 pulse but my intuition was suggesting large interval slower pulse, I thought I was missing something, I’m poor at music.... turns out I felt it as one should! :)

[@kojimapromeatspin]

My favorite piano teacher. The first channel I came across that I really enjoyed regarding piano wisdom. Thanks, Robert.

[@elfinidorquetzelini2201]

I love the way you talk about music!

[@johnlegend3081]

You’re amazing sir Rubato version sounded superb. BRAVO

[@mistersmith1883]

No one could sing Bellini or Verdi like Maria callas. Her Sense of legato, the push and pull off her rubato, the way her voice glides beautiful and easily over all the notes andit

[@minhhieuhuynh5174]

Thank you for your detailed explanation. Could you please explain the phrase you used at 4:10: "mold the tempo to your wimp"?

[@hunterofendermen367]

That was really awesome. I personally had never heard of rubato, and this video was the first one to pop up. That was an excellent description and visual showing of what rubato is.

[@onetwoBias]

great example - really illustrates the point and effect of Rubato. Very helpful indeed!

[@KevinRoddy]

A great explanation and demonstration Robert - thanks SO much, and Aloha from Honolulu!

[@velcroman11]

Short, sweet and to the point. Thank you, best explanation I have ever heard. 👍

[@jeremyrhoads6899]

I can't imagine how hard that was to play without any rubato. lol

[@rachelles.9657]

I still heard some rubato in the first one. :) Only a computer could play that with zero rubato.

[@jamesmctier1891]

Rachelle S. me too

[@labradog05]

i can play withouth rubato

[@Tkimba2]

@@labradog05 so? Metronomic playing makes you a robot, not an artist

[@labradog05]

@@Tkimba2 shut up, im just pointing out that i can play without rubato, bec thats human instinct to play in a beat

[@Brewbug]

A lot even

[@mantistoboggan2676]

The rubato gives a dreamy feel and really makes the shorter notes sparkle.

[@georgemixis2172]

You have an excellent channel. And your approach brings an interest in learning. I commend your efforts and enthusiasm, Robert !!

[@desr2395]

too many people just slow and speed the actual tempo when trying to do this. Im glad this was an accurate explaination and demonstration. Chopin himself said something along the lines of "when doing rubato, it is ESSENTIAL that the left hand ALWAYS remain in time" actual rubato is very difficult to do well

[@nhm1069]

Thank you! This is so helpful. I like the idea of feeling the large beat.

[@prashandino]

Best ever explanation of the concept.Thank you Thank you

[@sm9846]

maestro Roy Sonne explains rubato very well and understandable,he says : Rubato means taking some freedom with the tempo, or stretching and bending the tempo, going a little slower or a little faster momentarily and then getting back into the groove, or getting back with the basic beat .

[@Szerykguitaracademy1]

Great explanation and enthusiasm

[@sixstringsurfer6533]

I did a cover of this song a while back ago and I believe I added Rubato to it...I'm not sure but still a great lesson...Bravo!

[@bluewater3783]

Profound music! I had never heard that before. Thanks for turning me on to it--and for the "rubato" lesson.

[@mfabrena]

Robert - This is an excellent example and beautiful playing. I think often purists take too literally Chopin's comment that the left hand must be played in strict metronomic time, all notes equidistant. The concept of the "macro" beat is very apropos. This reminds me--didn't Rubinstein ding Rachmaninoff for playing Chopin with "exaggerated rubato"? Perhaps it is the other way around...

[@fiddlingglassblower]

Great explanation, and perfect demonstration of it. Thanks. Someone described a person's playing as "rubato style". I didn't know what it meant, and now I do, and no, his playing most certainly wasn't rubato. There was no timing to it whatsoever.

[@tanujgaurav]

Does this have anything to do with "Free Time" style of playing?

[@mudkip_btw]

Wow. You play that nocturne very well, could you upload it please? Love your videos! I'm working on an easy Chopin waltz, that also uses rubato. Because I'm not experienced it's very useful to get such vital information, like keeping the pulse. Thanks!!

[@mudkip_btw]

I might need to relearn every part, on metronome. Now I know rubato is a far more difficult technique than I imagined - not just play with the rhythm. Thanks again, I know for certain that this will help me put some life into my structureless playing :)

[@stitchyduck]

Um... Did you just literally answer your own question? o_o

[@exploringwithdave5926]

Thank you so much Robert. You play very well. ! I hope I can learn that piece soon.

[@CvnDqnrU]

domo arigato mr

[@xxXthekevXxx]

oh I just got that joke haha nice one

[@jlamb2760]

LOL...clever.

[@jacquelinefong5344]

The first version had rubato still I think

[@gentinmedia]

Amazing difference great lesson!

[@Kref3]

What I really would love to hear is something you cannot find anymore today. Mozart and Chopin were pretty famous because they played Rubato only in the melody, while the arpeggios or accords played mostly with the left hand kept the original pace perfectly. Mozart actually wrote a letter to his father in which he was quite amused about his audience which was always astonished how he did it: „Daß ich immer accurat im tact bleybe. über das verwundern sie sich alle. Das tempo rubato in einem Adagio, daß die lincke hand nichts darum weiß, können sie gar nicht begreifen. bey ihnen giebt die lincke hand nach.“ Rather free translation: "That I always stay in the measure accurately, that's what puzzles them all. That the left hand never knows anything about rubato, they cannot understand it. When you listen to them, their left always surrenders" I would really love to hear a Mozart sonata played like this, where the left keeps the time and pace perfectly while the right speeds up, slows down and meets the left again. Especially since it was Mozart's own style of playing them according to his own words. But it seems that this technique is more or less lost in time and nobody trains to play like this anymore.

[@kenshi7139]

Never thought I would learn to play piano from Mark Hamill. Subscribed

[@sonicfreak04]

so Rubato allows you the savor the notes being played?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

That’s a good way of putting it!

[@alvarchavarin5037]

You are such a great teacher....

[@mariannawilk7260]

Beautifully explained, thank you!!

[@musicsound2683]

Brilliant video and awesome playing - I have learnt a lot from it. But I have to disagree with you on some terminology - in 6/4 (Compound duple) - the "beat" is the dotted minim - the "pulse" is the crotchet.

[@kerder8660]

Hehehe how Chopin influenced the world of music... U can learn the music but in Chopin case growing up in Poland it has deep roots in his soul which shows in his compositions. One should spend some time in Poland to find out its influences & connections. Chopin music is termented soul taken trough cycles of life...

[@ernestohemingway7563]

Very good explanation and demonstration!

[@Вероника-л1щ]

What is the name of this wonderful piece????

[@laughoutmeow]

Can someone please please give me advice on how I develop pulse? Also what chopin song is that?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

Practicing with the metronome is a great way to develop pulse in your music. Playing with great musicians is tremendously helpful if that is a possibility. The piece is the first Chopin Waltz which is in B-flat minor.

[@billoldham4787]

Thanks, Robert. This has really helped me to understand rubato. The next challenge is to actually try it on Tango esta noche which I am learning. Cheers, Bill

[@JimJones-km3hk]

I have just found this channel, this guy is awesome

[@philodactyl]

You have an amazing talent! I wish I had carried on with learning Piano.

[@afonsoserro4437]

good to see Luke Skywalker's brother is doing fine

[@RecycleBin0]

yep it does change the tempo of whom is using robato but its so fine that its too messy to notate, each bar is in the same place though but the beats in it are slightly delayed or ahead, keeping in time is still important and would need to have very good timing, Including activley having the ability to change tempo or time sigrature instantaniously

[@Pirlisan]

beautifully played and explained. Thanks!

[@snapjoeneck8080]

Very good Mac exactly what I was looking for, have been teaching my self how to play guitar, while reading online for some tips I ran across this word a few times. Thank you :)

[@WhompingWalrus]

What does it say about *me* if I prefer the first version, & the second makes me want to slide a pencil from one ear straight through to the other? I've noticed the same with other music - just never been able to put a name to it 'til now.

[@thomaspick4123]

Superb advice.

[@lfelly6223]

Then if I want the effect of "gaining and losing time" (sounds like improvisation), what would it be called, anyone knows please?

[@matimacek6438]

Accelerando and Ritardando

[@grubybueno]

Hows the name ot the song?

[@Schatten2712]

I cried :,) so beautiful... makes me to wish to learn piano

[@amigosXcorrespondenc]

This is exactlt what I was looking for, thanks a lot!

[@paulmortimer1471]

Excellent! Thanks.

[@ab-rk1lu]

INCONCEIVABLE!

[@Zach-h2l]

Hahaha this made me lol for like 30 seconds :D

[@ab-rk1lu]

Zachary Perry I'm glad someone got that reference :)

[@grimmjowjeaguerjaquez5065]

I see you are a man of culture as well

[@jeweljohnson7220]

I was seriously trying to figure out who tf he reminded me of. Thank you.

[@gsand07]

🤣

[@sputnickbeats4107]

wonderful video !!! when you say don't lose the time how do you not lose if at the end if the measure you sped up so much you are a pulse short? Does the next measure need to slow back down to regain the missing pulse? Thank you!!!

[@kormathawa6152]

You are technically sort of correct. Though thinking of rubato technically defeats the purpose. I like to think of it more as, you have a starting down beat (or major pulse) and ending down beat (or major pulse) of a phrase. Those beats will happen at a fixed time. With rubato, you have the freedom to stretch or contract any of the notes in the phrase between those pulses allowing for natural and expressive freedom, as long as you land on that ending beat with the last note. So, yes, if your natural expression causes you to lose a full quarternote in the first half of the phrase, you're going to have to pick it up somewhere through the second half. That being said, rubato is much more subtle than that, If you're losing a full beat in a phrase, you're probably overdoing it.

[@josegoncalves5618]

Thanks a lot. I really apreciate your explanation. All the best.

[@edfelstein3891]

Excellent video. I never knew what "rubato" was -- that is to say, I never knew what it was called, though I heard pianists regularly doing it. Question -- what is the name of the piece played in the intro and outro of the video?

[@sonjamuller2846]

Thank you very much for your excellent explanation!

[@SigmaMahameru]

Rubato = giving emotion to the music?

[@silk5005]

Hi, would you care to share the name of the Chopin piece you demonstrate in this video? I adore the harmony in it

[@mtomazza]

he says in the video. Nocturne 9/1

[@Ayaron427]

Thanks a lot. Very well explained.

[@Ericstroman100]

I can’t hear the difference lol. As long as you use the same time frames for each bars you can do whatever you want. I thought it was a lagging between left and right hand. Some pianist do which give it clearer articulation

[@JordanMedina]

Good Playing!! I love Chopin..

[@Soup-Dragon1]

I actually thought the non-rubato version was more beautiful, less flowery. but i can see this technique could be really useful with vocal phrasing when singing. thank you.

[@GoldinDr]

I strongly agree that the non-rubato version was better. Chopin is so much more beautiful when you don't try to out-compose him.

[@fraenzchen85]

isn't it the other way around? that's how i feel..

[@fraenzchen85]

you are more free to sing on it

[@dronez6772]

Blasphemy! 😉

[@desuMaKun]

So what is the difference between rubato and syncopation then?

[@lemuela545]

Thanks, very valuable..

[@ruangheechun3714]

Great explaining! Now I know well about rubato

[@civilaggie06]

Thanks for the explanation and video!

[@aleperazzo16]

Puede usted explicar el rubatto en español?

[@Sasuke-lq1rl]

what's the name of the piece that you played?

[@isaac_tuba]

Chopin Nocturne in Bb Minor I believe

[@Sasuke-lq1rl]

+isaac davanzo thanks, kind sir

[@zayregi2364]

It is Nocturne ops 9 No. 1

[@glueckssilben]

My teacher never told me about rubato, probably due to the literature we were playing. However, I have listened very much to music by Chopin, and your video helped to understand how this music is driven by rubato. Do you think that it actually suffices to "think rubato" instead of trying to do it actively?

[@billligon4005]

Can it be ‘learned’ - this Rubato tempo?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

Yes, you can develop a rubato in your piano playing. Listen to a great deal of fine concert pianists so you get a feel for how this can be employed in your piano playing.

[@worldsailor2160]

What is the name of the piece he's playing for his demonstration?

[@TylerMagyarMusic]

Chopin Nocturne in B flat Minor

[@tornadodestruction8517]

Basically, Rubato - A direction to the performer which allows freedom to change speed, thus more expression. 😀

[@johndoe6011]

If he plays it, is it called Roberto?

[@aselshadieva9650]

Now that I know this, I can say rubato is all over the place in jazz

[@whitehouseblackroom]

crazy, crazy voice you got there, buddo

[@fraenzchen85]

thank you, master luke [skywalker]

[@Magnet12]

Precise, accurate and balanced rubato truly brings a piece to life, extreme rubato, even if it is accurate, will kill a piece

[@ruangheechun3714]

Great explaining!