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Rubato for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: ru'bɑtoʊ

What does Rubato really mean?

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Hey there!

So you're wondering what the word "Rubato" means, right? Well, let me break it down for you in the simplest way possible.

Now, imagine you are playing with a toy car. You're pushing it around, making it go fast and slow, right? Well, in music, there is something called "Rubato," which is kind of like playing with time, just like you play with that toy car.

When a musician plays a piece of music with Rubato, it means that they have the freedom to speed up or slow down the tempo (the speed of the music) slightly, just like how you speed up and slow down the toy car. It's like they're bending the rules a little bit, but in a beautiful and artistic way!

Now, let's dig a little deeper into this word. Rubato comes from an Italian word which means "robbed" or "stolen." So, when a musician uses Rubato, it's like they are stealing a little bit of time or taking more time from one part of the music and giving it to another part. It's like they are playing with time and making it their own, making the music come alive!

Let me give you an analogy. Imagine you're drawing a picture of a flower. You can take your time to carefully draw each petal, making some bigger and others smaller, adding little details. That's how Rubato works in music – it's like an artist painting a beautiful picture with their notes and melodies, giving different parts more attention and expression.

So, in a nutshell, Rubato is a fancy musical term that means musicians have the freedom to play with time, speeding up or slowing down the tempo slightly, to add emotion, expression, and make the music more interesting. It's like playing with a toy car, bending the rules, and creating something unique and beautiful. Pretty cool, huh?

Keep exploring the world of music, my friend! You're doing great!


Revised and Fact checked by Ava Clark on 2023-10-29 18:25:29

Rubato In a sentece

Learn how to use Rubato inside a sentece

  • When a pianist plays a song and decides to slow down in some parts and speed up in others, that's using rubato.
  • Imagine a singer singing a sad song and taking a little extra time to express their feelings in some lines. That's using rubato.
  • If a guitarist strums the chords of a song and stretches out certain notes to add emotion, that's using rubato.
  • When a violinist plays a beautiful melody and slightly slows down or speeds up in different parts to make it more expressive, that's using rubato.
  • Let's say a flute player is performing a piece and decides to hold certain notes longer or make them shorter to give the music a more personal touch. That's using rubato.

Rubato Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

pacing pacing tempo tempo