3:53 AM
The Motosonus Method was invented to give pianists and composers a way to provide top quality ballet music for class. In the simplest of terms the Motosonus Method provides ballet class pianists a group of laws for composing ballet class music with express techniques which are meant to make the music far more useful in its place in the teaching setting of the ballet studio.
One of the primary ways this is accomplished is by tailoring the beat placement and beat size and the melodic and harmonic content of the music to make a dissonance and consonance that matches the tension and relaxation happening in the dancers' muscles.
The most significant of these strategies is the manipulation of the beat or pulse. It was realized that the rhythm has a greater effect on the dancers during the study of ballet than any other single component of the musical accompaniment.
The personality of the music is created to enhance each individual ballet exercise by changing the position of the downbeat and also by changing the manner in which the downbeat is played. As an example, by anticipating the beat, sometimes referred to as "rushing the beat," and making it wider by rolling or arpegiating the notes, the pianist is able to give the music an expansive feel. This is used in the ballet exercises that require the larger muscles of the body, and which require large sweeping motions from the dancers. When the bass notes are played precisely on the beat, or "in the pocket,", it creates a sense of drive which is perfect for ballet exercises that require a swiftness and accuracy.
By consciously manipulating the beat, the pianist can make a musical tapestry that compliments and enhances the movements of the dancers, which both helps them in performing the exercises properly and also improves their progress toward their goals.
One of the primary ways this is accomplished is by tailoring the beat placement and beat size and the melodic and harmonic content of the music to make a dissonance and consonance that matches the tension and relaxation happening in the dancers' muscles.
The most significant of these strategies is the manipulation of the beat or pulse. It was realized that the rhythm has a greater effect on the dancers during the study of ballet than any other single component of the musical accompaniment.
The personality of the music is created to enhance each individual ballet exercise by changing the position of the downbeat and also by changing the manner in which the downbeat is played. As an example, by anticipating the beat, sometimes referred to as "rushing the beat," and making it wider by rolling or arpegiating the notes, the pianist is able to give the music an expansive feel. This is used in the ballet exercises that require the larger muscles of the body, and which require large sweeping motions from the dancers. When the bass notes are played precisely on the beat, or "in the pocket,", it creates a sense of drive which is perfect for ballet exercises that require a swiftness and accuracy.
By consciously manipulating the beat, the pianist can make a musical tapestry that compliments and enhances the movements of the dancers, which both helps them in performing the exercises properly and also improves their progress toward their goals.
About the Author:
This posting is brought to you compliments of Gaylord Pannitron. The Motosonus Method is used in The First Class Albums, a collection of ballet class music CDs by composer/choreographer/pianist, Don Caron. You can check them out in Amazon's Ballet Class Music library.
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