- 1). Learn the piece of music you wish to play. Important as the phrasing is, the first thing is to make sure your technique is adequate for the music in question and that you can play it through accurately. Once you have mastered that, then you can begin to add your own interpretation.
- 2). Study the directions on the musical score. These will give you indications how the composer intended the piece to be played. Some examples might include: "legato", meaning the piece should be played though smoothly, or "staccato" meaning the notes would be played in a detached and separate manner.
- 3). Practice playing the piece in the specified style and then try playing it in a different style. This will help you appreciate the difference that phrasing makes to the music and the adjustments in your technique necessary for different phrasing styles. The exact changes in style will vary depending on your instrument.
- 4). Find exercises for your instrument that teach different styles of playing. Knowing these will help you vary your playing and develop your own style.
- 5). Think about how you speak. If you just droned out the words at an even pace and volume, in a monotone, your speech would be very boring. Think of the different ways you introduce phrasing and interest into your speech -- by pauses, varying the volume and speed of your voice, by gestures and body language. Apply these ideas to how you play a piece of music.
- 6). Listen to other musicians who have great phrasing. Study what they are doing and analyze how that makes the music sound when they play it. Listen to how different artists play the same piece of music and how the different phrasing they use affects it. This aspect of music is both intuitive and emotional. One of the best ways to learn how to do this yourself is to study those who are masters of it.
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