Kind Of Failing At Everything

Lately I noticed that when I ask my students to tell me how they played, the first thing they notice is “wrong notes.” They tell me about each incorrect note, and sometimes they notice rhythmic mistakes too. Then I ask how the musical quality sounded… typically they can’t remember a single thing about their phrasing and dynamics.

Ferdinand Ries on working with Beethoven:

If I missed something in a passage, or played wrongly the notes and leaps he often wanted me to bring out strongly, he rarely said anything;

but when I fell short as regards expression, crescendos, etc., or the character of the piece, he got exasperated because, as he said,

the first was an accident, but the other was a lack of judgement, feeling or attentiveness. The former happened to him quite often too, even when he played in public.

Wrong notes are accidents.

Poor musical expression is a lack of judgment, feeling, or attention.

Focusing primarily on accurate pitches and rhythms will never improve your musicality, but focusing primarily on phrasing and musical story-telling will absolutely improve your pitches and rhythms. But don’t trust me, take Ludwig’s word for it..