Run-way
March 16th, 2010 Posted in classical music
Classical music really sucks to exercise to. I know that, I knew that and I keep trying anyway.
Like today, stepping outside into the six-pm sunshine for an after-work/before-dinner run, basking in Sunday’s inserted hour. DST is glorious on the Tuesday, when you’ve had a couple days practice at the earlier mornings, and can focus on the later evenings instead. And today it was even better, because not only do we have an extra hour of light, but that light is coming from a big old bona-fide glowing ball of sun in the sky. Despite having had one of the biggest snowstorms in recent memory just two weeks ago we are now in serious +50F territory, and the only ground cover is a few bruised autumn leaves, not ice.
So anyway, enticed by the warmth I strapped on my new running shoes, scooped up the MP3 player and trotted enthusiastically out to the road. It’s (and it always goes like this) only when I actually start running that I realize the only music I have on the thing is classical.
There are several reasons why classical music is really poorly suited for running:
- Tempo changes – i.e. too bloody many of them. The further you go back the less this happens within a single movement, but at best you’re still going to have your awesome fast Baroque movement followed by a slow one.
- Dynamics – It’s really, really hard to hear what’s going on when the orchestra gets quiet. That’s because running introduces all kinds of extra noises into your ears (such as your own heavy breathing). You can compensate for this by jacking the volume all the way up, but that backfires when everybody suddenly starts playing and your left eardrum pops out of your right ear.
- Length – You can easily get through a half-hour run having listened to only 2 movements of a medium to long work. This sucks because 1) you heard a weird fraction of the complete work and 2) you only heard two different (and maybe not that different) pieces your whole trip. Variation is way better. It picks up your feet at the start of each new song.
In summary, I NEED TO REMEMBER TO UPDATE MY MP3 PLAYER.
What do you think, do you exercise to classical? Have you found any pieces which work?
March 16th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
What about Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, or some Brahms Hungarian Dances:)
March 17th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Some newer stuff seems to work well, especially minimalist: In C; Reich’s Drumming, Clapping Music, Piano Phase, Proverb, and his 3 “Music for ___” pieces; Adams’ Phrygian Gates; etc.
Ravel’s Bolero is nice in that it has moderate length and only gets louder, mostly. Smetana’s Three Dances from the Bartered Bride have some pep. Come to think of it, other dance suites could work well, too: West Side Story, Nutcracker, etc.
Maybe also Sousa’s marches? Some of them are quite good. Or other bits for wind band: Vaughan Williams’ Toccata Marziale, Prokofiev’s March Op. 99, Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances, etc.
March 17th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Great suggestions!
I’m kinda pumped to try out something minimalist. It’s almost exactly the opposite of having lots of variation, but I think it might help to get into the “runner’s trance”.
Ben
March 18th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
While running the second movement of Beethoven’s 9th is a decent (if maybe obvious?) choice – in fact, if it’s running you’re talking about the whole 9th isn’t the worst choice; even the very soft, elegiac third movement has a kind of graceful, pastoral glide that isn’t totally contrary to running (especially outside).
I’ve also exercised with Schubert’s 9th symphony and got a lot out of it.
I completely agree with you about the problems of Dynamics – how you can barely hear a thing when the music gets really soft. It’s not just a problem I have while exercising but also with listening to classical in the car or listening to it on my ipod while I’m waiting for or riding the bus – I hear say, three minutes of energized bliss and then two minutes of nothing. I find that listening to string quartets is best in these circumstances, maybe in part because they aren’t as multifaceted as symphonies or concertos and when they get quiet there’s usually only one instrument you have to pay attention to playing at low volume so it’s easier to pick up…who knows?
March 19th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I’ve used it for Yoga. Then there’s always dance for working out. I think it just depends on what you do and what you need while you’re doing it.