Loris 0. Chobanian combines his abilities as a successful composer of symphonic works with an intimate knowledge of the guitar through extensive performance experience in concerts and on TV. His composition Sonics for four guitars is now available from Belwin-Mills Publishing Corporation. In the second article of this series, he discusses the psycho-acoustical misconceptions in the hearing habits of guitarists and exposes the most common mistakes in phrasing that guitarists make.

The word phrasing in Webster's Dictionary is defined as: "b. music. Act, method or result of grouping the notes so as to form distinct musical phrases." In this article, the use of the term phrasing denotes a more comprehensive connotation and also includes nuance, articulation, and expression of musical ideas. Absolute music is the most abstract of the arts, and at its best represents itself and does not require extra musical interpretation to convey musical thought and meaning. The last string quartets of Bethoven and the mature orchestral works of Mozart do not need programmatic rationalization. No amount of words, therefore, can accurately describe and fully express the merits of good phrasing and there is no substitute for examples demonstrated in actual performance. Furthermore, our musical notation is inadequate and cannot satisfactorily represent all the complex shades of nuance, intonation, balance of dynamics, color and expression intended by the composer; even when the composer chooses to write these details down explicitly.
Guitar arpeggio notation, for example, only indicates the points of initiation of sounds, without regard to values of duration. A more accurate representation of the sustained note values wo

uld necessitate additional tied notes, which would clutter the music and make it more difficult to read.

Whereas a flutist would play an arpeggio as written, a guitarist's sound would be similar to that of the pianoforte with its damper pedal held down. Such notational misrepresentation, though generally reconciled with, apparently causes guitarists to tolerate the indiscriminate vibration of open strings. The worst examples of such manifestations become evident in descending scales that involve the use of open strings.

Depending on the specific situation, an undesirable vibrating open string can either be stopped as in the case of the example above, or can be tolerated provided that which follows is performed in a manner that would engulf the resonating sound and render it inoffensive.
Efforts to mark phrases analytically have not always been successful since such indications would also introduce undesirable rigidities in so many of the intangible aspects of music. Inevitably the introduction of new slur-like signs would further complicate and confuse an already inaccurate notational system. The German music scholar and theorist Hugo Riemann (1849-1919) attempted to notate phrases in detail and has been widely criticized for his dogmatic approach. How could any notational system describe the ingredients used by Rostropovich when he performs his most inspired musical ideas on the cello? In our search for basic considerations to serve as a starting point in the understanding of good phrasing we cannot expect to find rules that would dogmatically apply in every case. In an abstract and subjective art such as music there will always be exceptions to any rule. Each musical idea ultimately has to be considered on its own merits and in the context within which it appears.
Even when expertly and artistically rendered good phrasing is useless unless it fits and contributes to the totality of the music being performed. A good composer's ultimate aim is to achieve in his music an inner structural balance of unity and diversity where all parts are interdependent and contribute to a total musical entity. For each decision and turn of event in the complex compositional process a whole new set of guidelines and influences are to be considered. No new ideas, for example, can be introduced halfway through a composition without proper justification. In a way, this compositional awareness is similar to that of the master chess player whose each movement establishes a new set of possibilities at different stages of the game. No composer has achieved such structural balance in his music better than Mozart. His mature compositions exhibit the judicious selection and the right amount of ingredients that cumulatively collaborate in the production of an inherently balanced masterful creation. Deceptively simple, the performance of Mozart's music requires utmost sensitivity. The recordings of Mozart piano concertos by Casadesus with Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra are documents of rare exception, since there have been very few who have approached doing justice to Mozart's music. It is hard to imagine the perfect performance of Mozart. Could it be that in the next life the fortunate among us will be rewarded with the ideal perfect rendition by an orchestra of angels under divine supervision? Peter Tchaikovsky must have had a similar premonition when he wrote: "Mozart was as pure as an angel, and his music is full of divine beauty."

Loris O. Chobanian

A serious performer should have concerns similar to those of the serious composer and should cultivate insights and techniques to achieve the proper reproduction of the composer's intent. One very important trait to develop is the ability to hear the ideal sound complex representation in the inner ear, and nothing will help in achieving this goal more than the act of listening to good music. Deliberate effort should be made by guitarists to become acquainted with the vast and varied music literature by listening to recordings and attending concerts. It certainly would require more than one lifetime to learn all there is about music. Listening habits, therefore, should go beyond the experiences acquired in music appreciation classes. One does not have to be in a music school or a conservatory to develop these skills. There are many non-professional musicians who have been able to develop very sensitive ears. Impressive improvement in the musicality of a guitar student was noticed over the summer break; the student had apparently made the wise decision to usher at Cleveland Orchestra concerts at the Blossom Music Center.
Though they require it most, guitarists have the least opportunities to develop good listening habits. Most guitarists listen only to guitar music and develop serious misconceptions about the sound ideal to be imagined in the inner ear. Well-meaning guitar teachers advise their students to listen to what they play; wise advice in itself , it is not of any help to guitarists whose listening habits are erroneous and who do not know what to listen to. The sound-output characteristic of a plucked string instrument, such as the guitar or the lute, consists of a growth and decay but no steady-state condition. The rate of decay and the duration of the sustained sound to a large extent depend on how well the instrument is constructed. The average guitar student begins his studies with an inexpensive instrument that has limited sound sustaining properties.
A true crescendo, as one produced on a violin or a flute, is not possible in the guitar even when notes are followed by violent vibratos. To a guitarist a crescendo means a progressively louder series of percussive units. Guitarists become conditioned to hear all melodic lines as a series of detached points of sound that always decay. Though it may seem that bad technique is the primary cause, guitarists as a rule tolerate breaks between the notes they play.

Advanced student guitarists who for many years have played the twenty Segovia-Sor studies are surprised when it is pointed out to them that there are distinct breaks between their successive notes. When they are asked to repeat a note, they display the same characteristic break. Even when a taped recording of their performance is played back to them, some do not believe that there are separations between their notes. Eventually they understand that it is necessary to be aware of continuity of sound in time; that music does not appear on recurring points only; that areas between these recurring points have to be considered; that even a rest in an integral part of music; and that silence can imply continuity and motion. In time they realize the necessity of changing their erroneous concepts of hearing and developing an ability to imagine in the inner ear the abstract ideal continuum of music.
It will be advantageous therefore to discuss and recognize the average guitarist's most common mistakes in phrasing. To an extent, there phrasing difficulties are also applicable to other instruments that produce sound by either plucking or striking of strings, such as the lute and the pianoforte. The most basic problems of phrasing, that should be given primarily consideration, result as a consequence of misunderstandings of rhythm. Students do not always comprehend or correctly respond to the advice that noted should be sustained to their fullest values. One effective method for guitarists to become aware of and experience time between pulsating notes is to mentally subdivide notes, imagining them as a series of microrhythmic divisions that eventually connect and create a continuous sound. Thus all points between two pulsating units would be accounted for. The value of the microrhythm would depend on the tempo of the beats; the slower the beats, the more subdivisions they would require.

The above procedure will lead to the elimination of careless breaks between quarter notes and will necessitate sustaining of sound in each beat at least up to the last microrhythmic value. Technical inaccuracies or breaks will then have to be diminished so that they will not be outside of the smallest microrhythmic unit.
One helpful means of visually identifying musical motion in time is to observe a master conductor's hand that is shading phrases - gradually moving in the air and creating long lines of musical thought. Not all conductors, however, are endowed with the ability to combine such dramatic skills with proper musical insight. The quality most desirable in this visual representation is the evenness of motion above the pulsating beats of the baton. Comparable proficiency is required from a performer and is detected or displayed in the performer's body motions. The head, torso, or feet should not always mimic and pulsate with the beat, but should independently convey a majestic awareness of longer lines reaching out to points beyond the pulse, the measure or sometimes even the phrase. The perception of linear direction is also improved when secondary pulses are given less importance. It is advantageous for guitarists to acquire the basic skills of conducting which consequently will contribute to a better understanding of motion in time. Our system of musical notation represents this motion horizontally from left to right. The tendency by guitarists to play upbeats early indicates a common servitude to the vertical beat usually developed by chordal accompaniment playing. Guitarists need to develop the ability to think and perceive upbeats as leading to stronger pulses.

A delayed upbeat though not always convincing can be acceptable. An upbeat that is early is outright problematic and will hold back motion.
In dotted rhythms where the delayed upbeats are of smaller value this consideration becomes even more crucial. Guitarists are intimidated by long notes and feel the urge to act in order to fill a gap. This in turn would lead to early anticipation of beats. As a rule long notes should be conceived longer and short notes shorter. Nothing will dilute the intensity of a performance more than neutralizing the differences between diverse note values. The legato playing so desirable and problematic in guitar performance should not be thought of as a necessary end in itself. Yet, the most common mistake by guitarists is the inability to connect upbeats to downbeats. Even if an upbeat is marked detached and is performed with a distinct break in sound, it should still convey a sense of horizontal direction. Riemann's suggestion that every musical phrase begins with an upbeat, though strict and overstated, nevertheless has validity in a large percentage of cases in music of the common practice period and should at least be given adequate consideration. The correct character and temperment of a phrase and sometimes even an entire composition, is established with the opening statement. An accurately performed beginning can eliminate much of the usually encountered ambiguities that follow. After an erroneous start, several measures are necessary before the listener will realize the true intent of the phrase. An exertive and accented upbeat can destroy the entire setting of the musical presentation, and can create a feeling of misplaced pulses.
Students should be trained to feel silent pulses inwardly. Guitarists have difficulty conceiving pulses when rests fall on strong beats. In a recent TV appearance Angel Romero, performing the Rodrigo Concerto De Aranjuez with the Boston Pops, articulated the accented rests with strong body motions. Though overdone, these motions helped him establish a very secure rhythm. After the introductory chord in the Prelude from Bach's Lute Suite No.3 (BWV 995), a secure pulse should be felt on the second beat in order that the following melodic material be accurately conceived.

Successive stepwise notes or scales generally contribute to a common musical idea and therefore should be connected to achieve a common goal. It does not follow that every scale should be played legato but that the notes should have a unity of purpose. The introduction of left hand slurs as in most guitar transcriptions of the Bach example would interfere with the unity of the line and disrupt its sense of direction. Bach's own long phrase mark over this melodic unit is better represented by non-slurred connected notes. This aspect of musicality belongs to interpretation of music and will be dealt with in a separate future article.
Unless otherwise indicated the order of importance for the divisions of a beat or pulse in a measure are 1, 3,2,4.The performer should at all times be inwardly aware of this traditionally perceived basic phenomenon. He should distinguish these normal inherent pulses from the superimposed accents. The legendary pianist Artur Schnabel on occasion would ask a student to perform an accent in such a manner that it would be discernible only the student performer. Exaggerated accents on pulses will create mechanical rigidity. Equally problematic is the performer's inability to inwardly recognize the proper relationship of subdivided beats. A typical result of such misconception is the performance of a scale in which different sixteenth notes are haphazardly given prominence, or when notes that fall on strong beats are performed weaker. Such inaccuracies also manifest themselves in the form of overlapping notes and in differences of duration and color. When approaching a new composition, a guitarist will be well advised to learn the work metronomically, in order to eliminate any misunderstandings of rhythm acquired by listening to records. Only after establishing a secure rhythm should interpretive efforts be undertaken. A metronomically rigid performance, though lifeless, at least can represent accurate rhythms. Without understanding the basic rhythmic structure of a piece, all other efforts are totally wasted. It is obvious that most problems discussed so far are of very basic nature, yet it is the very basic elements of musicality that guitarists lack most.
Guitarists should above all discard their insecurities and strive to become total musicians, who happen to have selected the guitar as the medium for their musical expression. It is an absurd notion that guitarists, being what they are, should depend on other musicians to learn about music. Good phrasing on the guitar is more difficult and is considered a greater accomplishment than comparable achievement on the violin and the flute. Idiomatic limitations of an instrument should not be used as an excuse for incompetence. Guitarists may find it comforting, however, that other instrumentalists have less excuse when they make the same mistakes discussed in this article.