Hello, I’m kuro, a cello instructor.
Today’s topic is what constitutes a “great performance.”
While fast playing and dazzling virtuosity are the most obvious indicators of skill, let’s explore what makes a performance “great” when those flashy elements are stripped away.
When playing a slow or lyrical piece, what actually defines a skilled performance?
The core requirements usually come down to three things:
- Avoiding unpleasant or harsh sounds
- Producing a resonant tone
- Playing with a quality close to vocal “singing”
Let’s break these down one by one.
Avoiding Harsh Sounds
First, avoiding unpleasant sounds covers things like:
- Wrong notes
- Out-of-tune intonation
- Scratchy or airy tones
- Unintentional strange noises And so on.
Simply eliminating these harsh sounds brings you one step closer to a great performance. However, merely playing mechanically still doesn’t make it a truly skilled performance.
The Power of Resonance
Next in importance is the resonance of the sound.
Sounds enhanced by natural reverberation or acoustic bloom simply sound beautiful. Therefore, it is crucial to let your instrument ring as much as possible. Conversely, it is equally important to stop using physical habits that stifle that resonance.
Playing Like the Human Voice
The final crucial element is playing in a way that mimics singing.
This means incorporating a sense of breathing, dynamic inflection, a sense of momentum in the notes, and expression backed by a true understanding of the piece—bringing your instrument as close to the human voice as possible.
The very first thing you should do is try singing the line yourself. Study where breaths (or concealed breaths) should be taken, and research where breathing enhances the musical phrasing.
String instruments—and pianos—can be played without breathing. Wind instruments and vocalists cannot; they rely entirely on breath to make music. This presence or absence of a living “breath” within the performance is the dividing line between mechanical playing and true musical expression.
The Foundation Behind a Great Performance
To deliver a great performance, being able to execute the mechanics flawlessly is also essential.
Playing evenly and accurately according to the score, without jarring notes and with rich, resonant tone, creates the mental bandwidth needed to focus on higher-level expression.
Ultimately, a great performance relies on these three pillars:
- Avoiding unpleasant sounds
- Producing a resonant, stable tone
- Playing with a quality close to vocal “singing”
Points 1 and 2 depend entirely on whether your fundamentals are solid.
Playing without harsh noises and producing a stable, resonant tone are precisely what we learn at the foundational level. Whether a listener thinks, “This person’s playing is wonderful” or “What a skilled performance” the very moment a note begins depends heavily on whether those fundamentals are firmly in place.
