Voicing

Voicing is the art of balancing the relative volume of notes within a chord or texture so that certain notes (usually the melody) project more than others. It is arguably the single most important technique that separates an advanced pianist from an intermediate one — two pianists can play the same notes and one sounds musical while the other sounds mechanical, purely because of voicing. The technique requires independent finger control: in a right-hand chord, for example, you must press the melody note (usually the top note, played by finger 5) more deeply while keeping the inner notes lighter. Practise voicing by playing chords very slowly, listening to hear each note individually, and adjusting your finger weight until the melody sings out clearly above the harmonic support.