What is rubato?

Rubato is when musicians play a little faster or slower than usual to make music feel more expressive and emotional.

Imagine you're on a swing at the park. You go up high, then come back down, that’s fun! Now imagine if sometimes you went higher, and other times just a little bit lower. That would make your ride feel special and exciting in new ways. Rubato is like that, it gives music more personality by letting parts of it speed up or slow down gently.

Think of two friends playing catch. One throws the ball a little faster than usual, and the other catches it a bit slower. Then they switch. That’s how rubato feels in music, one part might be a little quicker, and another part a little slower, like a game of catch with rhythm.

Musicians use rubato to make their music feel more alive, just like you would if you changed your swing speed to make the ride more fun.