Professional Musicians Explaining the Concept of Musicality in 5 Levels (Ft. Hilary Hahn)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 เม.ย. 2020
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S N A P C H A T: Brettybang | Eddy.Chen - เพลง
Ah yes the Five stages of life Child, Teenager, University, adult, and Hillary Hahn.
I'm stuck at adult, still waiting to become Hilary Hahn... 😒
@@MissTwoSetEncyclopedia Just practice more.
Ethan Republic can’t agree more. but Hillary Hahn is only one.😂
I wish!
It's like that famous riddle: what walks on four legs in the morning, three legs at noon, two legs in the afternoon, five legs at in the evening, and overnight is flying to the next city on tour?
5 levels should have been:
1. Sacrilegious boi
2. Non-musician
3. Musician
4. Professional
5. Ling Ling
Non musician music noob represent!
Yas!
The Ling Ling level would be "you are musicality in person, so what?"
*1.sacrilegious boi
2.Non musician*
Well whoever does level 5 lost their job cuz no one needs to teach ling ling
Imagine having 3 Grammys just sitting there and still being this humble and genuine.
I can't, but good point...
The secret is authenticity
@gJb 1 it's not like you'd ever receive one :)
@@tomhermann1167 the secret is practice, but ok
The flex is real.
hey Brett and Eddy, I know the views of this video is not as impressive as others, but this is genuinely the best content for a non musician classical music lover like me. I get to appreciate classical music in a whole new perspective. Please keep make informative videos like this as well as those super hilarious ones. your passion for classical music has already reached out to so many people!!!!
I completely agree I love these informative videos particularly as I'm a bit of a noob as far as the classical music world is concerned Brett and Eddy and Hilary are completely non judgmental and its very sweet and enjoyable to hear people being passionate.
Yue Liu As a fellow non musician, I couldn't agree more. I've just recently started watching them and this has been my favorite video. Right around the level 4 explanation I started to ask myself "What about in an orchestra? If everyone has different musicality it wouldn't sound cohesive." Then they get to the 5th level explanation and voila, all is made clear. Really great video guys!
Same. I played saxophone all through school (8 years) and I'm learning more about music 10 years later than from a few TwoSet videos than I think I ever did.
Yue Liu So true! Thank you two set!
Excellent video for anyone who is interested in music, regardless of whether you're a musician or not, or what instrument you play, or what genre you listen to or play. It's still a little oriented around classical music (and towards playing melodies and solos), but in general, it's universal and applies to all music and every instrument (very little is actually unique to the violin, it's just that different instruments use vastly different techniques in regards to phrasing).
"ft. Hillary Hahn" is the most effective clickbait.
Edit : sorry i put extra "l" in her name. Forgive me o violin goddess🙏
Except it's not just bait, it's what you want ^^
Worthy clickbait, given Hahn's outstanding level of virtuosity.
@@Tarpe1993 Agreed, she has a lot of wisdom.
Justified here I think
666 likes
Me: Non musician, don't even play an instrument
Also me: Watch this very seriously without skipping
I’m a dancer and I’m enjoying this video very much because I’m applying it to dance.
@@dubba1214 That's good to hear! Since I cannot apply any of this to my profession, I simply enjoy how they go in depth about the things they are really good at and passionate about. You can literally see the spark in their eyes it's endearing.
LEARN AN INSTRUMENT NOW!!
I'm beginning to appreciate this video more and more as a way to explain why i like certain renditions more than others
This video actually gives you an advanced knowledge about musicality just in case you would learn an instrument one day, you would start thinking "what if I'll try out what twoset and hilary said?" which gives you an advantage to other beginners
twoset should have a podcast and have musicians as a guest and educate us more about classical music
Underrated comment
Brett Yang on youtube
And bring different instruments on board (youtube collabs)!
The Ling Ling wannabe's podcast
Make this a thing please
My summary...
Level 1. Emotions.
Level 2. Character. Meaning & story.
Level 3. Context. Historical, political emotional origins.
Level 4. Phrasing. Communication through technique and understanding the context within the music itself.
Level 5. Dialogue. Mastery of levels 1 - 4. Relationship between yourself and the audience/expectations. Physical relationship between your own emotions and the instrument. Experience and expression being present to the moment when performing. Go practice!
Loved the vid, thanks guys.
That's a Really good summation.
level 5...finding your own voice in the context of the composer's intentions, its background and the language of the music.
@@aaronemmanuel84 Agreed. Really concise!
level 5 sounds to me like the balance between trying to sound more 'personal' than a machine, which can be trained to play 'emotionally' and accurately to meaning and history and previous good players.... and still being as accurate as a machine in terms of no mistakes!
it's about being human, but striking a balance with not going overboard. You're not just playign for yourself, but as a tribute to a composer you love and the audience who can only know your heart through the proper music you make. Poignancy and practicality on a tightrope walk- but also freeing, like speaking your mother tongue with your own unique yet recognizable accent. I don't think musicality can be learnt- as you practice, it'll develop as logn as you have passion!
Hilary Hahn’s explanation has too many possibilities for us non- Hilary and non-Ling lings to figure out
When the first three levels are done in like 10 minutes, you know the rest of it is gonna be hardcore music nerding
Well, Hahn brings top class and intellect to the documentary.
Brett and Eddy: very talented; Ling ling’s distant relatives.
Hilary Hahn: Violin GOD; Ling ling’s sister.
and ray: ling lings student
*Ling Ling herself
@Mey *blasphemy*
@Mey Ling Ling is his/her own teacher lol
Loba Étoile dammit OF COURSE ling ling is self-taught
can we appreciate how usually you’d have to pay for years masterclasses or adjudications to get just nuggets of the tips and ideas that TwoSet and Hillary just taught us about musicality.
Absolutely! 2Set are giving extremely valuable insight into music.
Well done, Brett and Eddy ! You have " got it " !
🇬🇧😊💕🌹🎹💕😊🇬🇧😊🇬🇧💕
i think about this all the time - over the years, twoset has given me so much awesome advice and inspiration for my playing AND IT'S ALL JUST FREE AND ALSO FUN AND ENGAGING LIKE WHAT?? 💖💖
@@thylatrash7668 2 Set Violin are a wonderful asset , especially during this horrible virus time :
you start the video, and they chat to you just as if you were on a lovely visit to see them .
Their insights, experiences and demonstrations are SO interesting.
Plus their expertise in music is admirable.
🇬🇧🥀🌹😊🎹💕🇬🇧
As a musician, I find nothing more comforting than hearing the ideas and insecurities of better musicians, and finding they're essentially the same as mine.
Agreed! Couldn't have said it better
Beautifully written and true.
Love this - so true.
Take this sentence: “I never said she stole my money.” Repeat it emphasizing a different word each time. It means 7 completely different things depending on which word you emphasize.
That's nice, thank you!
This is true *but* to what extent should performers add their own "musicality" over what the composer has written? Unlike written English, in sheet music the composer can easily indicate which of those parts to emphasize.
Quantris I would say that it’s like all art - it’s subjective. IMHO, it’s up to the performer as to whether he/she wants to tell the exact same story as the composer. Then it’s up to the audience (or just the performer him/herself, audience be damned) whether they like their version if it’s different. I consider sheet music to be more guidelines than rules. There is plenty of room for interpretation even beyond what’s marked on paper. Even with the notations, it’s entirely possible the composers would have written it differently if they had experienced the acoustics of modern day halls, modern day material (synthetic strings, composite bows, etc). And anyhow, I think this is what keeps things interesting. How boring would it be if every virtuoso played every piece exactly the same way - the way it “should” be played?
@@Quantris In written English, you can do thus:
_I_ never said she stole my money.
I _never_ said she stole my money.
I never _said_ she stole my money.
I never said _she_ stole my money.
I never said she _stole_ my money.
I never said she stole _my_ money.
I never said she stole my _money_ . (Please forgive the space before the period. It was the only way I could render the italics correctly.)
English can be written in a rather expressive way. Of course, the way it's written seldom tells the whole story, but the same is true for sheet music.
Nice! Tnx😅❤
storytime:
our language professor made us write an essay on a tittle "(something) that you didnt know about"
i wrote "classical composers that you didnt know about" and gave him a full 2000 word lecture on different composers and the way they express their music lmao
twoset has taught me well
Esther Wong W O A H 👏👏👏
Also how has no one else commented on this yet
That’s insane! Good job. Twoset has taught us all a lot to remember
Thats great!!!
Hope your teacher gave you full marks
J Atanacio how could his/her teacher not?
As Debussy said, and Miles Davis also felt, "Music is the space between the notes"
One pianist said something similar when playing Bach's Goldberg Variations, that it was equally as important to allow the spaces between the notes as to play them. That struck me.
Thank you for putting this here!! Never seen a better description of musicality and it really brought another perspective of understanding
Mahler also said: "The best in music is not to be found in the notes".
oHno I thought you said Miss Davis.. which is the name of my 8th grade music teacher. And I hated music, sucked at it, and used every opportunity to get away with cheating on our exams, let's just say we didn't have the best of relationships.
I dont believe chet baker ever said he did, but whenever I listen to him. It sounds as if he completely dissolves in his music, and crawls between the notes.
When Hilary Hahn did one of her first performances of The Lark Ascending, this old British guy came up to her and asked if she had ever seen a lark ascending. She said no, then the next day he took her to a meadow to actually watch a lark take flight. And a lark doesn't take off like other similar sized birds. It's more like an eagle or some other larger bird. It circles low, gradually getting higher until it catches the thermals then soars high above.
Cool story. Do you have a citation for this story that we can read about this?
@@ligemerrill6368 It was in an NPR interview early in her career, like maybe 20 years ago.
@@paulwagner688 Ah OK, thanks!
Wow... so yeah, understanding the background story of a piece. I didn't know this fact... Will have to go watch some vids now...
It's a cool story, but that's not how skylarks fly. They fly straight up vertically, flapping like crazy, before sort of parachuting back down, singing loudly the whole time.
just need to appreciate:
1. The way their eyes light up just talking deeply about music
2. Just watching the "you need to practice" and "go practice" banter back and forth bc i cant stop smiling after that
3. the amount of introspection you can get from listening to this, and the fact that we got to hear not just brett and eddy but HILARY HAHN SENPAI talk on this topic
4. Brett talking about the ache in Tchaikovsky thank you for bringing the pain in it up
5. This whole freaking video because i literally cant stop watching, screaming, or smiling about it
violinning human why is this not the most liked comment bcs everyone needs to see this
Same :‘)
lol i feel that
I know what you mean...
Ik this channel is so wholesome I live it
I have always wanted to know... Who answers and likes comments? Eddy, Brett, Editor-San, both?
Who else would like to know?
Anandi Natraj Me too
Wow
What do you mean by both
They are three
Mee
@@user-we5zq6re9d By both I mean both Brett and Eddy.
Hilary is in the middle of a one year sabbatical where she isn't playing at all. Thank you Hilary for sharing your gift with us during your sabbatical!
That can't have been an easy decision to make, especially with the insane multi-year planning that goes into a professional soloists concerts and loads of people trying to talk her out of it... but good on her, I'm sure this will bear fruit for her and for her music
Well she gets to have her sabbatical in lockdown. Did she know this was going to happen? cue X-files theme music lmao
philip k She said she’s been really needing it, constantly on your for i think 9 years
Wow, plot twist, she didn't miss a gig!
Like the CEOs who all failed to show up for work at the WTC on 911.
Teacher: Question everything.
Hilary: Why?
Teacher: SUPRISED PIKACHU FACE
Whenever they talk about serious music topics they look so professional..
Not that you’re not professional in your other vids, but eddy looks so serious when he plays the violin😂😂
윤뚀리 Eddy is a born teacher, he looks really alive when explaining things
Yeah he's like that in his own TH-cam channel
윤뚀리
hello fellow Korean!!
^^
[이유진 플룻]EugeneFlutes hi!! 한국인 거의 없는줄 알았는데 반갑네요😂😭
@@ldxlsl 네 저도 딱 한분 봤어요
Eddy: *Says I Love You in different ways*
Me: *Dies*
IKR lol
It's like a heart attack ~
Couldn’t agree more!!!
When he intensively said that... I just died.
@dghi nah, I don't have a discord
When you realize that you're a child
Children grow up fast, though...
go practice then
I'm a fetus :
I've had trouble with musicality my whole musical life (and I've been playing for about 12 years at this point). People just tell me "feel it, feel it!!" And I'm like "Feel what?? Is this not it???" And I get frustrated. But this video has literally helped me more than anyone else. Thank you sooooo much
14:22 reminds me of Mizore's "stiff" playing in Hibike Euphonium.
If someone, especially a lesser experienced musician, isn't musically emoting in a preferred way, just try some things for them to mimic, as a start.
There's way more that can be said though.
@@qwyyfluut I've much improved since I left that comment, the method you mentioned being something I tried that really helped~
@@theentity5 I was actually rewatching but these topics still remind me of "Sound Euphonium" & "Your Lie In April".
Them talking about music seriously for 25 minutes??? YES
"The G-string became thicker" - Brett 2020
Seven Ellen lol
Um oh ok yeah umm... ok
Wooooooooow
Thiccer.
Well, you don't want it snapping on you ...
When I first heard Benjamin Britten’s violin concerto when I was 16, my first thought was “...it sounds like World War II” and so I turned to my musically illiterate classmate and said “doesn’t this sound like World War II?” and he was like “...dafuq u talkin bout brah?” I was so happy when I looked it up and found that it was written in the year leading up to and the year when World War II began.
J1Bigtime I had a similar experience the first time I heard/saw Shostakovich's 5th Symphony.
This is such an interesting conversation to hear as a vocalist. The music we perform already comes with a built in story. So musicality has less to do with figuring out what the story is and more to do with how exactly you want to tell it and what the best way is to tell it. It requires a fair bit of sympathizing with the character. Moreover, because your body IS your instrument, it's a bit more intuitive, because we all have a somewhat natural sense of the way our bodies feel when we're happy, or angry, or in love, or whatever.
One of the most interesting ways musicality is impacted for me is whether I'm singing while sitting or standing. What some people don't realize is that singing well is a full body activity. To emote and interpret a piece with good musicality, your whole body needs to be projecting the energy.
I have Cerebral Palsy, so I don't have the strength in my legs to stand for a whole set. I have to decide what pieces I'll sit for and which ones I stand for. Generally, I stand for higher energy pieces and sit for lower energy pieces. When I'm sitting, my legs can't really participate and contribute to putting forth energy--it's like they don't exist--so I have to be able to concentrate 100% of the energy in 50% of my body, and the higher energy level is required the harder that is
Absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing.
This may not work for you, but here's something to try. My voice teacher and good friend has a neurological condition similar to muscular dystrophy. When she had complications after childbirth, to help her breathing a doctor told her to breathe through the soles of her feet.
When she recovered, she applied this to singing. She sat on a high stool while performing, so her weight wasn't on her feet, but the concept of bringing in air from the very lowest point enhanced the support and total bodily engagement that singers need. This might be useful when you have to sit.
I don't have any such condition but find it effective, especially when I'm getting fatigued during a performance. I expand my feet inside my shoes and breathe more deeply, plus it re-sets my posture.
We sang with the LA Master Chorale, which has its own season at Disney Hall and performs with the LA Phil when they need a chorus. Seeing my friend succeed at this level without allowing her condition to hinder her was motivating and inspirational.
First 10 minutes: Eddy and Brett being the teacher
The next 15 minutes: Hilary becomes the teacher and suddenly Eddy and Brett becomes student with us
Maybelle Lee .....and that was the plan from the outset, when they described their “5 steps.”
true!!
Eddy: The part when she loves... and then the part where he loves... and the part where they love each other... Then the part that I love...
Then ... THEY FIGHT! 😠
everyone including Ray be like: hEhEhEeeeEee
and then you understand why it was in Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Can somebody tell me which piece is that?
@@mahboombox7860 It's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saens
TwoSet should do "Classical Musicians Play Jazz", I wanna see them take a solo on giant steps
I think they have already done a similar video, actually. Look it up on their channel.
What if they tried playing donna lee
Lunar It’s different. They would have to train to become Jazz players. It’s really different how classical and jazz musicians feel music, there’s some studies that show that. It would take a lot for them to get to that level. I saw their “jazz” video and it really doesn’t feel that much like it. Still they are talented and hardworking musicians, I’m sure if they train they can become really good
How incredibly refreshing to hear such a mature conversation between people who are genuinely good at what they do with no trace of ego or competition but instead mutual respect and the realisation that no matter how good they are they can still learn much more by being open to each other’s realities. Great work on so many levels. Thank you all three of you. Inspiring.
Hilary: ok so in how many videos do you want me to be featured?
TwoSet: YES
Everyone: Wow, an informative video ft. Hilary!
Me: 25min of twoset... quarantine going nicely.
zdesmos Agreed
I like how their "Go Practice" bit at the end is a lot like a piece of music.
//
It starts with the two repetitions of the basic motif, then Hilary and Brett build intrigue. Eddy starts up the intensity with his accented growls, and Hilary comes in loud and fast. Brett keeps it going and Eddy hits the climax with the high note. Hilary allows a descension in intensity, and Brett makes the listener feel at ease. Eddy makes the final request for the group. Hilary resolves with the final affirmation.
You sum it up so well! After reading this comment I went back and watched this part again, and you are so right!
YES! THIS IS THE CONTENT I NEEDED!
I am not a musician at all, but I practice eastern calligraphy and I was astounded at how many of the concepts you explained can be translated to calligraphy as well. The phrasing part especially hit hard, since just as you have notes which you have to imbue with meaning through phrasing, so you have character shapes to which you have to assign 'meaning' within the composition. This, just like in music, happens in one instant with one movement of the brush, so it really feels like you're playing a piece while you're writing. Just as Eddy, Brett and Hillary so entertainingly explained, I've struggled with 'intonation' and 'phrasing', which can be interpreted like 'line quality' and 'flow' of the text in calligraphy, something completely different from shape (in music=notes, correct pitches), but which you need even more than precise shapes to make a work of art.
KEEP uploading stuff like that please, this is seriously the content I live for. I feel like videos like this touch not only on 'musicality' but also a very profound part of what art is in general.
Do you notice how the piano music when Hillary speaks adjust and enhances to the mood of her words? The editor needs a raise!
Level Hans Zimmer:
"In music, you're basically having a conversation!"
Platypus Music 😂😂😂
@LING LING GRANGER Yeah exactly 😂😂😂
“There’s a question, and there’s an answer”
bit of a dodgy question there
lol was looking for this comment
Yes, the Tchaikovsky concerto has always been so full of anguish for me, and people are all like "oh this is pretty, so romantic" I'm like, this is deep suffering, see how this phrase keeps building and building and never ends, see how these themes are built around semitonal relationships which makes it very heavy emotionally etc etc
The “go practice” part was amazingly beautiful.
Agree 💯 This video feels elegant despite TSV are comedic duo...❤️the goddess effect of Hillary Hahn
I love how they explained the dialogue between the man and women in love (during the explanation to a high school student)! That was so interesting and a very nice way to look at musicality! 💚
I agree. That was simply incredible, and I'm glad they shared it so I can apply it to my own musicality as well. I never realized Vengerov was such a master at interpretation!
This is from Vengerov introduction and rondo capriccioso masterclass, check it, it's on youtube (the 5min11 one). It's really great :D you just made me revisit it, again
fans be like: hEEEhEEEEE
this is so interesting to hear from a musician's perspective. I've only just started learning violin but I've been taking ballet classes for many years. I'm not a professional or even close to it but musicality has always been very important to me. ballet is also very heavy on technique and years required to develop, and I think sometimes there can be an overemphasis on technique and not enough listening and moving within the music. playing with the accents and drawing out one movement over another while staying in time. and then there's the other layers of emotion and acting with actual performances, not something I can speak to. thank you all for doing this video, so insightful and I will definitely be thinking about this as I continue learning to play.
nicole kelly I used to dance ballet non professionaly as well and my teachers never put much emphasis on interpretation. Now that I switched to jazz dancing, my teacher really pushes us on that direction, and much of what he says about interpretation, and telling a story, intention and musicality has a lot to do with what they said on this video (and what they say on other videos as well). TwoSet actually helps me a lot on my dancing! XD
I pole dance and I’ve taken burlesque classes before and we’re all about musicality. I’ve taken a beginner class where while we weren’t performing, we’re supposed to act like we were. So even something like walking around the pole isn’t that simple. There are so many things to remember: make sure your hand is in the proper position on the pole. If it’s not fix it. What’s your other hand doing? Make sure it’s not just hanging there. Don’t look at the floor. Keep breathing. (Maybe throw in a hair toss.) That’s just the technique class. Then there are choreography and technique classes. Then there are workshops to really hone into not only choreography but how to freestyle. Two people will be given the same steps and the same song but they’ll interpret that differently from each other.
I'm new to both ballet and violin. It's been rough starting late but definitely worth it. I've been doing ballet for less than two years and I've been playing the violin for about three years. I feel like I'm more naturally inclined to ballet though, and I totally agree that musicality is something that people often overlook when dancing. People are only impressed if you're really flexible or if you can do tricks. (I overheard a girl shaming me for not having my splits. The reason why I don't have them yet is because I keep pulling muscles...it's not that I'm not trying...) But without musicality tricks and flexibility won't get you anywhere if you want to be serious about dancing. You need both.
@@dubba1214 aah, very interesting! ballet, basically everything is codified in technique. shapes, placement, angles of hands/arms/shoulders/head, etc. so while you can have all the perfect lines and movement, it can end up kind of flat without playing within the music. a less technical dancer can be extremely captivating due to their musicality. which I imagine is true in all forms of dance!
So happy to see a dancer's comment on musicality! I speak from a different perspective - I've been a long time musician (violin, piano and saxophone) but I've recently picked up swing dancing (vernacular jazz dancing) and it can be done couple or solo. Unlike Ballet (from my understanding at least), we have a lot more emphasis on rhythm and manifesting that rhythm with the body. And so when it comes to the topic of musicality, it's very much about how we play with the rhythm that matches the music, be it syncopation, or the duration of a move (lasting the whole eight, or half an eight, or just a six). Sometimes the musicality also very much translates to individuality as well, adding variations on standard moves, just a little tap there or a delay.
I think, as Hilary/Brett/Eddy mentioned in the video, a lot of musicality also comes from understanding the piece. In jazz there's the common 12 bar blues and AABA/ABAC forms, which really helps in phrasing and styling the dance (on a macro level). Then the arrangement of the piece - are there more horns in this phrase, is there a drum solo break, what's happening with the double bass (micro level) - all these things add on to what we can do with our feet and our bodies.
Lastly, on the converse: dancing has helped me understand that music very often serves a purpose. In the swing era music were written for dancers, and co-evolved with dancers. Similarly, Stravinsky wrote Firebird as a ballet piece, and understanding that also improves the music. I'm pretty sure composers/band leaders write music with theatrical/choregraphical ideas in mind, and the music leaps once you consider the physicality of it too.
THIS is the stuff that makes my heart and mind come alive as a musician. 😭❤❤ I wish I could go back in time and show this video to every person who's ever asked me, "How do you spend four years studying music performance in college? What do you do that whole time?" or said, "Why are you still practicing that? It sounds right to me." New favorite video!! Thank you, Brett, Eddy, and Hilary!! ❤
Actually from a linguistic point of view, what Hilary says about phrasing it’s SO true. A huge part of understanding and developing a message has to do with prosody, that means that the emphasis, the pace, the rhythm and body gesture are crucial in language. That is why we can convey and interpret emotions from words and phrases. In this sense, the work of musicians its not very different from the work of actors/actresses where you have a script to which you have to find you way to convey emotions in it and your audience should be able to perceive that.
Thanks for the video, you are awesome :)
My amazing maestro is the one who really taught me music and how to get into it. I knew him when I was 14 and, you know I was very note-by-note at the time, with bad technique and bad sound. As soon as I met him he immediately asked me: What do you wanna do in your life? I said I wanted to be a guitarist so he said: Well, then forget everything you learned, we re going back to the basics. I was really scared but then he noticed it and said: I know your feeling, I did it too when I was 18 but you re younger. You have the talent. You just have to do what I tell you to do, and you ll see the result". It took me 6 months to gain a good technique and the sound I have now. And THAT'S when I REALLY started to practice. That's when I REALLY started to get into classical music and LOVE it. That's when I REALLY started to play with more passion and musicality. And that's all thanks to my wonderful maestro. Two months ago(it's been 2 years since) I had a normal lesson with him and everything was the same as usual. We got out of the school together and we said goodbye. I never saw him again. Three days later I was informed he died from a heart attack. I was TOTALLY DESTROYED and still I am. I miss his masterclasses and I miss his humour. But I've got to thank him for teaching me what MUSICALITY means
Sorry for your loss. It's difficult to lose someone who has a big effect on our lives, but it's great that we were lucky enough to have their influence in our lives. They live on through us and through those who we eventually teach ourselves.
so sad but beautiful to hear. i’m sure he’ll stay in your heart forever and you‘ll hear his voice guiding and teaching you for decades to come ;)
i had a teacher who took me back and installed good technique and understanding aswell. she showed me how to practice efficiantly. but she wasn‘t as empathetic, she was japanese hardcore through and through 😂 yet we bonded and she erased all the bad habits i got from the time with my first and uninterested pedo teacher. now many years later i‘m still practicing with her on my mind and i‘m eternally grateful for the knowledge and corrections she passed on
He passed his gift on too you, now you are part of him :)
You are his legacy.
iam smiley yes and he should pass it next.
Non musician levels of musicality:
Open eyes > closed eyes > erratic body movement > constipated face> stripping and glissando
That's actually true lol
im a musician, but when i watch professionals perform, ill never look at them the same.
Why do you think this happens?
Im a pianist, and this helped me, even tho they play violin, which proves that the musicality concept is the same no matter what instrument you play.
Thank you eddy, brett, hilary
As an actor, I was surprised at how much I related to your and Hillary‘s description of musicality and how it reminded me of the choices actors make during rehearsal and when learning a scene. Even the part about research on the composer and where they were in life when they wrote the piece. It sounds like there is a lot more crossover between acting and musical performance than I thought.
Brett and Eddy: *waves godbye*
Me: *waves even though they can’t see me* 👋🏻
I wave every time someone says hello
Ah same-
:"^D
pepega clap
Go on. They actually see you
I'll wave to you
This is like a free masterclass with hilary hahn.
That description of dialogue and phrasing was insane. As someone who only casually plays piano, it’s crazy to hear these concepts and think how I can apply them
I’m not a musician but it’s still fun to get to know a musician’s perspective and this helps me to feel more when I listen.
Agreed, non-musicians have a valuable input.
I feel like if TwoSet existed years ago, then maybe I wouldn't have stopped learning an instrument. They make learning music so much more interesting!
Start learning an instrument again! It's so much fun... (And just because I'm very curious: Which instrument did you learn?)
Amen
I probably wouldn’t have stopped playing the piano 😔
Two set did exist a year ago
Ikr they made me want to practice more and I always do atter I watch a twoset elusode and it makes me teacher happy and I feel really good
Tchaikovsky would not be my favorite composer if I didn't know about his life. He's so romantic in his music and as Brett said it's easy to just read it as simply that. But it's frustration, it's sadness and it's wishes. His music gives me the impression that he was well-versed in romantic feelings, that he found joy in them, that he loved feeling them. But he could not express it verbally or in his lifestyle, so his music is always laced with ¨I wish I had this, I would do anything to have it.¨ As a bisexual who's in a situation where I can't express my love for women, it just hits really hard. Knowing the historical context elevates his music from ¨I like this¨ to ¨this helps me¨. I can imagine Shostakovich can have a similar effect on people who's suffered awful governments, or Beethoven for people with handicaps, and so on and so forth
Relatability to composers is definitely something that helps me appreciate music history. I love Tchaikovsky because his music helped me through a difficult time in my life, which made me never want to play classical music again. Knowing what he struggled with and the fact that he made such beautiful music because of it definitely encouraged me to keep going. Rachmaninov was the composer that probably got me into classical music after I heard his second piano concerto, and that piece meant a lot more to me when I learned he dedicated it to the therapist who helped him cope with depression, since I'd dealt a lot with anxiety around the time I started listening to classical music. And I could talk about Shostakovich for hours, but I think this comment is long enough already, so I'll just say his music speaks to anyone who's ever been made to stifle their creative pursuits. Although he was an extremely anxious person- possibly to the point of neuroticism- the level of bravery he displayed throughout his life was incredible.
@@sophiatalksmusic3588 please, tell more! very interesting
Totally agree with you and I relate on a personal level.
Tchaikovsky's music has always been a healing experience for me - or maybe not so much healing as cathartic. The very first time I went to the Nutcracker was such a transcendent moment for me it caused me to pursue ballet for the rest of my life, but it wasn't just the dancing that caused me come back to his scores again and again whenever I felt frustrated or confused. Learning his story when I got older only gave his music more power for me.
This is one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, TwoSetViolin video I have ever seen. I always had thoughts about what musicality is, and you guys and Hillary Hahn helped me feel more confident that I was right, and you added so much more information that I hadn't even conceived. Thank you guys so much!
Absolutely yes, agree. It is still one of the most valuable videos a year later😍😍😍
You guys need to start a masterclass series.
Im a seasoned musician and just starting the violin and you guys have expanded the way I think about music, in ways that I never knew about too. I think a masterclass series would really be like gold dust to many of us that want to learn more but dont really know where to start!
I love these "nerdy" episodes so much! I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and you talking about the research you've done and how that informs and is reflected in your playing. As a vocalist, it's really cool to hear things explained from an instrumentalist's perspective. And you both light up when you get really deep into musical discussions. Both of you gave me chills with the excerpts you played. You always inspire me to practice.
Agreed, TwoSetViolin have a passion for music which is infectious and hugely inspiring. I always thought I knew about classical music, until I watched their videos and discovered a whole world I had never known.
A professor who taught theoretical physics and still somehow found time to play and practice the violin,piano,trumpet,saxophone,and guitar once told me that understanding the meaning of every note of music and every number in mathematics is the quest of a madman,but the madness of said man is not to be trifled with
That is an outstanding professor! For some reason, I am not surprised that a physicist would play musical instruments. Einstein loved the violin, for example. I think the connection between music and physics is wonderful.
@@Musicienne-DAB1995 there's a strong connection between music and math!
@@bluelabel222 Agreed, a fascinating topic in and of itself.
@@Musicienne-DAB1995 The connection goes beyond the physical I feel. There's an abstract similarity there I could never enunciate.
@@Musicienne-DAB1995 I completely agree. When I was 13, I was studying atomic physics from MIT lectures. Yet, I also played violin since I was 10. I’m in love with playing it.
At this point, I don’t know what I want to do with my life. Do I want to study atomic physics? Or do I want to study music? I couldn’t choose when I was 13, and I can’t choose now.
and this is why i love brett's tchaik more than anyone else's. i hope he will keep practising the violin concerto and that we will hear more renditions of it in the years to come.
How Brett introduced Tchaikovsky's struggle with his sexuality is the main reason i decided to start translate it into Chinese at this late.
Tchaikovsky is my fav musician
There’s so many composers that I really want to give a hug to, you know?
Me too
0:36 i just can’t see this picture without thinking HilaRay Chehn.
(Ray Chen fans would understand this)
Yesss
oh no.
they're back.
Time for a video featuring Fourset Violin!
XDDD
The damage to our souls has been done
Music is so much more of a "carnal sensation" than it is "emotion." I like to think of it like the sensations on your tongue when you taste and eat food - it's the same thing, but with sounds and ears. (or scientifically, vibrations of that membrane in your ear called eardrums) You don't have to "feel emotion," or "make up a story," or even "know the backstory of the chef" to enjoy the food. Sometimes the food is so unlike what you're used to eating (new to Classical music or whatever genre) that you need some getting used to the taste and sometimes even learning about said food's culture (context and history), but the bottom line is that it's a carnal sensation from your tongue to your brain.
Music is the same, except with sounds and ears.
(It's also why music can't be just "boxed up" with mere words, just like how it's hard to describe certain, if not many tastes and foods without over-simplifying things. For example, try to describe the taste of a lychee fruit. It has such a specific taste and fragrance that someone who has never tasted it would never understand. In the same way, music (and smell/nostalgia) induces such specific feelings and sensations that measly *WORDS* like "happy" and "sad" would never do justice towards it.)
Well said! That explained it quite well
Interesting perspective. I also think that thing down musical definitions to "Sad" and "Happy" is often really dull
Is there a channel where someone gives historical context to certain classical pieces? Would love to watch that.
Found something th-cam.com/channels/4ihNhN8iN9QPg2XTxiiPJw.html
@A.H thank you!
During these tough times, we should all be there for our loved ones.
TwoSet: HilAaRy HahN
Sometimes before Music lessons in school my classmates ask me to play something on the piano and then I sit there and have just to take a deep breath and close my eyes before playing to get the "right" emotion I want to play this piece in. And even after nearly two years I'm in this class they still don't understand why, like "Just play it" "Just follow the notes" And I'm like... nAnI?!
Anja Franke I feel ur pain
Musicality is one of the reasons I love seeing classical music performed in person is so much. There is a power in every performance that you can't just listen to.
I recently went to a performance of Shubert's String quintet in C and the way they all communicated during the performance was amazing. There were the two violinists on the left, the first cellist and violist on the right and the second cellist in the middle. It was like the violins and first cello and viola working in teams of two to create beautiful melodies and harmonies. And then the second cellist would most always initiate tension and lead the group into the climactic segments. It was such a powerful performance.
You guys should make a video with a variation of the lingling challenge, where instead of challenges you pick styles/composers. E.g. you pick from one bag a piece by Mozart, and from the other bag with styles you pick "Beethoven" or "Tchaikovsky", and you have to play the piece as if it was composed by the other composer. Could be fun.
Two videos in a row that feature Hilary Hahn? I guess “twoset” lives up to their name.
How did you guys ever doubt how this video would be received? The content is fascinating. I mean, that’s why we play music right? To share feelings and tell stories!
So yeah....l love it...(not to mention the bonus ..Queen Hilary!)
Child/level 1: feelings uwu emotions🥰
2-4: more and more intricate theory
Level 5: feelings uwu emotions🥰
It all comes back full circle
Fr my biggest struggle is my musicality’s tie to tension in my body. I think I do a really good job with finding emotion and storytelling and outlining the phrasing within music, but then to be able to maintain that integrity throughout the entirety of a piece to say exactly what I mean becomes exhausting for my body because of all the tension I build up when I portray certain emotions (like intensity, anger, pain, longing, etc.) 😭
The vocal exercise they did is kind of like an acting method called Meisner technique, where you repeat words back and forth until the words have no meaning and it's just about the emotion being conveyed. I've also heard of actors who learn their lines with zero emphasis or rhythm, so they don't get stuck in a particular way of saying a particular line - kind of like what they were saying about experimenting with different ideas about phrasing. Really interesting video.
It took me so far down in the comments to find someone mention Repetition. But it was also very Meisner-esque when Eddy mentioned the different meanings of I love You based on how it is said.
"i have other things to worry about like playing in tune"
I felt that. I, felt that....
When you talked about background on Tchaikovsky and Beethoven 9, I'll never think of these two pieces the same.
Hilary flexing with those Grammys in frame :D
I know right?? XD
Me: watching a video about 5 levels of musicality
My violin: you should just practice, sis
THIS VIDEO was practice...
TRUE!!
Hilary: By now officially the 3rd cast member of twoset I mean threeset
Glad Hahn appears in these videos, as well as Ray Chen.
They should talk to Jazz musicians next. From what I have seen they have a totally different perspective on the whole 'reading the room' thing.
This is free masterclass. I love it.
Why is them saying “You need to practice” and “Go practice” so funny?!
Also this was really interesting as always, particularly as a non-musician, who notices but doesn’t always understand musicality. Thank you!
yES i was laughing so hard at the end hahaa
Them: How are you so good at your instrument?
Me: Practise
Them: Your so talented, you play very well!
Me: Because I practise
Them: How did you get better?
Me: P R A C T I S E
Them: Can you teach me too?
Me: Sure, but you must also practise to be good
*A couple of months later*
Them: Why am I still trash?
Me: Because you didn't practise!
Its practice*
@@robiihart7531 It's it's. Also, practice is an American noun AND verb, whereas practice is a noun and practise is a verb in the English dialect spoken elsewhere
This is me teaching drawing
Them: Wow ur so good at drawing
Me: thanks
Them: can u draw me?
Me: (still actually noob before) uh.... no? It'll take time
Them: oooh okay, can you at least teach me?
Me: sure, try drawing a line
Them: *draws a line* aight fuck this
Them months later: wow ur really good at this why didn't you teach me
@@artprojectsix5280 erm its just UK english not "english dialect" lollll
@@user-fz1mx1ld6q A difference in the same language is what qualifies it as a dialect
As a writer, I loved hearing them talk about the different instruments having conversations with each other and comparing musicality to sentence structure. Because in the writing world, we're constantly trying to make our sentences and paragraphs sound more "musical".
PETITION FOR TWOSET TO MAKE MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
I love Eddy's sound. I always say this and I know it is redundant but I can't help it. Love it even more when he is talking music.
Editing to add...
He also asks great questions. And I can tell that he's a deep thinker.
Thank you! Really appreciates it! Musicality is hard!
For me as an adult violin beginner, I'm still struggling with bow control and catching the bow in a less sacrilegious way. However every time I study a piece (yes I meant Suzuki) I always listen to many different versions (the violin version, the vocal version, the orchestral version... by different soloists) to take notes and replicate every detail I heat.
As a consequence, this is frustrating since now I know "how it is supposed to sound like" versus "how I sound like"...
Honestly you can see just how original she is just by the way she says go practice at the end. It’s like comedy improvisation. She’s so good.
Emoting in music is a lot like an actor reading a movie script.
Anyone can read the script out loud, but it's the actor's job to get you to understand/feel what they're feeling. They have an understanding of what's happened/happening/going to happen to their character and how they want to say what they need to say (under the director's guidance).
They choose facial expressions, how to inflect, where to pause, body language, etc., etc. -- all to get you to feel what they're feeling.
EDIT: Maybe I should've waited til the end since Hilary kinda touched on this lol
Me: *practicing on the piano*
Random guy walking past the practice room: cAn YoU pLaY fUr ElIsE?!
yeah I know that feeling hahaha
*death*
this is so true
yep haha
Can you play the song..you know the one that goes ...dadadadada-dadee-da-daaaaah...?
This actually feels like a Twoset and Hilary Hahn Master Class❤️
Hilary has a very vibrant way of expressing herself during those covnersations. Always very honest, and to the core of things. Might that be what musicians hear in her music too? Might be a personality trait of hers, technique aside.
This video makes TwoSet's genius very obvious: great and passionate musicians who can make even non-musicians think they get a glimpse of UNDERSTANDING what is going on. You can translate. It's very exciting.
Massive thanks to Twoset for creating this video. I always have a hard time explaining musicality to non musicians, telling them what to listen for, or answering questions like "what's the point of everyone playing the same piece" etc. Now I can just send them this video
Even though this is a borrowed idea...it’s so cool!!
Eddy boy you missed your calling ...that “I love you” was pure Hollywood!
brett and eddy: "we love each other"
no need for Hilary Hahn, I already understand the musicality a lot better
It’s so helpful hearing a more holistic description of what you should try to achieve when it comes to musicality rather than hearing my teacher yell at me in metaphors. Thank u so much for this vid!
Lot of this is very important in genres like Blues music, the back and forth, questions and answers, and call backs play a big part of most blues music.
1:48
"I love you."
"I love you!"
"I L O V E Y O U"
I think musicality represents the essence which defines music itself- a means of communication. Its finding ways to tell different stories, narratives- conveying emotions that cannot be captured through mere words
as a jazz musician and fan of nearly half a century, it's fascinating to learn how classical musicians, without the freedom of spontaneous invention, are nevertheless able to shape their performances through judicious variations in phrasing, dynamics, timbre, and so on. superb content! special appreciation to ms. hahn for her generosity in sharing her time and wisdom, which transcends genre.