0:24 - Layering to Feather note starts/ends
5:10 - Layering multiple patches on a lush melodic line in a cue I wrote for "Hotel Limbo"
8:53 - Tempo Rubato for Individual Parts
10:00 - Tempo Rubato in Yo-Yo Ma's playing
11:00 - Which notes in a phrase sometimes get extra time (or less time)
13:48 - Having a fixed BPM doesn't need to mean static timing on individual lines
14:20 - Expressive timing in a violin solo over steadier orchestra backing (Itzhak Perlman)
14:40 - Tempo Rubato in a Couple of My Tracks

19:31 - Intentional Rushing or Dragging
19:58 - Rushing in a fast melody in "Race to the Ocean"
24:46 - Other Timing Tweaks for Enhancing Humanization
25:10 - Note feathering in tutti chords
26:31 - Messy woodwind runs/gestures
27:17 - Uneven note starts/transition/ends in lush strings in "Hotel Limbo" with CSS
28:35 - Your Assignment


LAYERING FOR TIMING-FEATHERING A PERFORMANCE 

There are many reasons to layer libraries and parts (THICKENING, CHANGING THE SOUND, CHANGING THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PART, OR FEATHERING), which I plan to cover more in further volumes, but for now I want to briefly talk about performance feathering as a humanization technique.  

 

FEATHERING: adding more layers doing the same thing so the (example, putting a solo violin and small string section on top ) but with DIFFERENT performances so the legato transitions are in different places, the start and ends of notes are somewhere else.  

 

Like many independent strands -- put them all together and they "average" into a sound-- into a cord or rope. The different between drawing four independent lines and using a four pencils tied together. 

TIP: AVOID HAVING ALL PARTS USE THE EXACT (copy/paste) SAME NOTE TIMING AND CC INFO
When you have a large tutti or chordal section, having a few parts copied and pasted is fine, but everyone on the same timing, even if it's humanized timing, will sound noticeable because you won't have the natural, feathered feeling that a you get with a group of musicians playing together.  

 

 

TEMPO RUBATO 

 

Tempo Rubato - italian: "Stolen time" 

Slight speeding up and slowing down at the expressive whim of the performer.  

It's very common for a soloist to have a little bit of additional expressive timing freedom over an orchestral accompaniment, even when the orchestra is more rigid. 

MODERN APPLICATIONS: Having a melody or musical element that is a little loose with the timing over an accompaniment bed that is more-or-less locked in to a click-tempo. The GRID is steady EXCEPT for birds-eyes at end of movements/big phrases. Then have any micro timing fluctuations happen within the grid. I.e., you can get off-grid momentarily, just get back on for important beats or by the end of the phrase.  

 

INTENTIONAL RUSHING AND DRAGGING 

Intentional rushing? YES! Sometimes I will intentionally rush or drag with an element depending on function and context. 

SLOW/EARLY ENTRANCES 

Sometimes I give the first note in a melody, or at the start of the piece/movement a little extra time by letting it come early.  

 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

#1 - Pick a piece of your own (or someone else's), and experiment with a rubato melody over a rigid accompaniment. Experiment with this while the CLICK is going. 

 

#2 - Find the try out the iterative quantize feature in your DAW and familiarize yourself with it.