I have my metronome. I start out nice and slow. I learn the piece, and I get to the stage I can get through without mistakes. Then I try and pick up the pace. 1 or 2bpm increase in speed each time I practice. I even write down the speed I get to!
But, after all that practice, my increase in tempo tails off. I just can't get anywhere near the tempo of some of those wonderful jigs and reels when played by the pros.
What do I do? Give up? Play Bob Dylan songs instead? Help!
Are you playing tunes or chording? I don't know much about chord-playing on guitar, but speaking as a violin teacher, fiddler and sometimes whistle player, I would think maybe you need a change of scene - do you play with friends, or at a session ever? The answer might not be a technical approach, but a psychological one. Often I find I practise something by myself and my sensibly slower tempo actually works against me, as I get too used to it. Then I go to a session and can't really keep up, but say, a few days later it "happens" when I'm not expecting it, and there I am, playing at a reasonably acceptable tempo. It really comes as a nicve surprise. The only way I can expalin this is to think I just needed the nudge from the session ambience, the sound of a dozen or so musicians I admire, and the knowledge that they've been doing this much longer than I have, so they know "how it goes".
How long have you been playing for? How often do you practice? About how long is each practice? I think answers to these questions would give a little more indication of your true point of frustration.
The simple answer is to just keep at it. Bear in mind that professionals are professionals for a reason. It is their life. Also depends what pros you're listening to. Are you having trouble reaching the tempo of a bit more laid back style like some of the East Clare stuff, or are you striving for Dervish speed?
Just keep everything in perspective. I truly believe that if you practice and keep at it long enough, it will eventually come. Everybody's journey with the music is different and mini-goals are reached faster for some people than others.
There's also always the chance that something technical is slowing you down. For instance, with flute players, if we keep are fingers too far above the holes, often it is difficult to play fast simply because it takes just that split second longer to play a note. That being said, have you ever had a teacher or an outside source look at your playing? Do you have enough experience with your instrument that you can play in front of a mirror and look for any technical problems that might be slowing you down?
When you can, play with other people and like the man said, it's the the ambiance. If you're fiddling, keep the strokes short, fingers sure of where they are. Other instruments, don't know. The pros play all the time so that it is second nature. When you know the tune well you'll find your hands flying and you're not even thinking about it.
Practice slowly. Seems counter-intuitive, but it's true. If you don't learn to play a tune at a slow speed (say half-speed) accurately you'll never be able to play it fast without falling over.
It's all about acquiring the coordination; if you don't have it properly at a slow speed then it certainly won't be there at full speed, so it can only be acquired by slow practice and careful listening.
When a good player plays fast with 100% coordination and rhythm you should be able to hear every note. If someone else plays it at the same speed with less than 100% coordination it is going to sound muddy and indistinct.
Trevor
To some extent I agree with fiddlefingers: change your context and you might find you've expanded your boundaries. For instance, in a general level session, I tend to put down my flute for fast reels and the like in favour of the (technically less challenging) whistle; however, I had a chance to play some tunes with a fantastic Scottish guitarist the other night and found myself ripping off tough tunes at terrible tempos on the flute with ease and delight.
I also suggest a great book (though definitely classifiable as "pop-psyche) called 'Effortless Mastery" by famed jazz pianist Kenny Werner. This book focuses on forging a focused and "effortless" practice in order to achieve great results. It has changed the way I practice and play radically and - at the time I first worked through it - it helped me make the jump from talented amature to professional player (no intentions of snottiness here, just bein' honest).
Keep up the slow and steady practice. You will, eventually anyway, find that it fosters your fingers to flight...
I had to learn a piece by Liszt for grade 7 piano. It looked OK to begin with, but I decided to find a recording. The family reaction was that ,"no way will you play it ,Mum,".Of course they were right,but I did eventually learn it, phrase by phrase until it eventually came together in a coherent whole. I assume that all music is the same, in order to play as you would wish, the learning process is slow and detailed and often ,seemingly static.Then one day you play it ,not perfectly , but there is something "other " about it, that means that it is more than the sum total of notes.
I might be wrong here, no doubt somebody might correct me . . but if your picking a tune on the guitar, don't expect to ever play as fast as a fiddler or whistle player.Fiddles and whistles "lend " themselves to be played at speed.I'm not saying they are easier to play than a guitar, just physically easier to play fast.
You might prove me wrong and you might one day to play at huuricane speed, good look then and keep practising.
Speed is accuracy.
Also,dont try to over control your movements when you practice,
practice with minimal physical and mental effort and with patience.
If you play with a big swing,it won`t lend itself to play fast comfortably.
Northern players play fast but the swing is minimum if any,sometimes it`s pretty sticato.
unt clare players would generally play at a slower pace partly because of the wide swing,and it just wouldn`t sound that good played fast.
And Kenny Werner`s book,I would highly recommend to any musician.My own musical development has definitly spurted since I read it and also had a week seminar with him,which was payed for by the arts council.Isn`t that great?
Speed is rote. You've got to get the whole operation into the muscle memory in your fingers, or create a connection such that your brain "hears" the music, and your fingers just make the sound happen. If you have your brain controlling things, you can only get so fast before you hit the ceiling.
Think of how you go about tying your shoelaces these days. Takes about a second, doesn't it? And you don't think about it at all--you just do it. No think for a moment about the steps your fingers go through--cross over and under, make this loop, make that loop, cross over and under again, pull tight, adjust the loops so it looks even.
I'll bet you can't do that "mindfully" in less than about five seconds.
It's the same with playing.
You can only teach your muscles what to do by doing it over and over and over, correctly. That is, slow enough to get it right, every time. If you push yourself and practise going fast, you'll just teact your fingers how to make mud.
Play your tunes a million times two ticks less than the fastest speed you can play cleanly, and you will get faster.
Sure, try adding speed from time to time, but only if you can play cleanly at that speed. If you can't, slow down again. If you're not playing cleanly at any particyular speed, it won't magically "clear up" with practise.
I starting learning to play the whistle last spring. There were a few pieces a put aside because I had difficulty with them (fingering, speed, read the music, etc.). About 3-4 months last I tried them again and found it to be easy. The moral of the story . . . just keep practicing. You're learning even when you're not totally aware of it -- it just sneaks up on ya' one day -- the coordination is there, the music is easier to read, you just "get" the feel of the tune, etc. Best wishes!
Yes practice is the key but what on earth do you want to play like the pros for. I take it you are referring to the recorded pros. Forget it. I was at a memorial concert for Seamus Horan, Fiddle player, on Friday night and all the old timers (as I call them) played a few tunes and without exception they were all played at a nice, even relaxed pace. There were no young bucks breaking the speed limit, so relax, enjoy the music and slow down!
All good advice.
In short the secret of playing fast is playing slow a lot.
Have faith, it will work and it's amazing what you discover about the tunes when you really get to no them.
The most important thing is to enjoy your practice.
Good luck.
PP
Another thing: if you can get the rhythm and lift in a tune when you're playing it slowly, you'll have little difficulty in doing it at speed. A workshop tutor last Saturday told us that playing a tune slowly with rhythm is difficult, and so is worth working at.
A world-famous fiddle player, whom I do not propose to name here in case it starts off yet another thread , and who sometimes gets stick on these discussions for playing slowly, does in fact play those slow reels and jigs with superb rhythm and lift. He is also well capable of moving things on when he wants to.
All the stuff about practising slowly above (s1mon, PP, trevor etc) etc is really good advice! If you you practice faster than you can comfortably play, you're actually going to teach yourself to play badly.
a couple o shots of red bull and vodka and you'll be goin like ninety. it'll probly make ya sound like joe cooley on speed tho...ah no seriously, the slow practice really works. your fingers are more sensitive if the circulation in your hands is good too and they'll respond better to what your brain is trying to make them do. so I suppose you need to exercise your arms a bit...and I don't mean liftin pints or holdin up the bar...
A lot of good advice for all of us in this thread!
Another factor for plucking instruments is that each note (except for slurred notes) requires action by at least one finger on each hand. Articulating music seems to work the best for me when I only have to focus on doing one thing at a time. This sometimes means rapid transfer of focus between the 2 hands. In fast passages, confusion can arise when attempting to change focus too fast leads to trying to focus on the action of both hands simultaneously. Some suggestions for improvement: practice each hand's part separately, slowly. Practice both parts together, again slowly, expressively, but focusing on just one hand all through the passage. Then try it again, this time focusing on the other hand.
Practice the right hand part both with a pick and fingerstyle, noting the difference in the feel of the piece, and try to apply whatever is advantageous from each approach to your playing, whether using a pick or using fingerstyle.
Examine the fingering for both hands. Due to the nature of the fretboard, there are probably 2 - 10 ways to play any given passage. Try several and see which one lends itself to the piece the best. See which one is the easiest to play. Which one lends itself to the most secure fingering? Which fingering best utilizes the advantage nature has conferred on using the index & middle fingers, as opposed to relying too much on the pinkie? If slurs are musically acceptable in the passage, does using them help acquire more speed?
Also, Try approaching the passage with as many fingers attached to the fretboard as possible, as much as possible. It takes less effort to lift a finger than to accurately plant a finger, especially when playing a fast passage. For the right hand, try anchoring the thumb to a bass string (if playing fingerstyle) or anchoring the pinkie to the soundboard or to the high e - string (if using a pick). These right hand techniques are helpful for some people in some applications.
Play the passage slowly, comfortably, enjoyably, slightly over-expressed several times. Then play it faster than you can, lightly, only paying attention to the accuracy of the left hand, then the right hand. Then go back to playing it slowly. Play it over and over, for 15 minutes.
Don't play too much. Forget about it and go do something else. Don't play that passage again until you have played everything else that you know.
Many thanks everyone! Some pearls of wisdom, and I am enouraged to keep playing. What I'm hearing is: not only practice it slowly, but enjoy it too. And that, I assure you, I shall do. Thank you.
Um, one other thing -- try not worrying about it, playing fast, I mean. It's human nature to want to play fast, especially in certain places of the globe where normal session speed is faster than a really really fast thing. But you'll be respected for playing the tunes you know well but slower, rather than the tunes you play fast but poorly.
My own experience is that the speed comes with time and repetition, at least in the beginning. One day you find yourself naturally playing something at a speed that feels slow to you, but people are testily asking you why you have to play so fast. Be patient with your playing (because of course we all know that our playing isn't who we are or what measures our self-worth, right?) and it'll come.
Anyway, there's always somebody who can play faster than you. The thing to worry about is playing well at the speed you sound best at.
SPEED UP ROUTINE - most points have already been said. (remember - split the problem into halves - Right & Left - Fibonacci)
Make sure before you start to review your Left hand & Right hand BASIC technique. Even if started correctly you might have slipped
- no good trying to speed up with the wrong technique !!
Step 1: Identify the phrases being difficult (triplets etc) - keep them small (6-10 secs etc)
Step 2: practice these with the Left Hand only -(start slow, speed up and slow down again when tired)
Step 3: practice open strings with the Right Hand (have a routine cross-picking you start slow and speed up and then slow down)
Step 4: Synchronise Right & Left - takes the most effort
(if you have the software start at 80% speed -> then move to 100%, and finally after a few sessions upto 120%)
Step 4: Practice & Practice - 15 minutes a day minuimum for the 1st month
How do I play faster?
How do I play faster?
I am aghast.
I have my metronome. I start out nice and slow. I learn the piece, and I get to the stage I can get through without mistakes. Then I try and pick up the pace. 1 or 2bpm increase in speed each time I practice. I even write down the speed I get to!
But, after all that practice, my increase in tempo tails off. I just can't get anywhere near the tempo of some of those wonderful jigs and reels when played by the pros.
What do I do? Give up? Play Bob Dylan songs instead? Help!
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by Blind Lemon Sonny Boy McPage
Re: How do I play faster?
Are you playing tunes or chording? I don't know much about chord-playing on guitar, but speaking as a violin teacher, fiddler and sometimes whistle player, I would think maybe you need a change of scene - do you play with friends, or at a session ever? The answer might not be a technical approach, but a psychological one. Often I find I practise something by myself and my sensibly slower tempo actually works against me, as I get too used to it. Then I go to a session and can't really keep up, but say, a few days later it "happens" when I'm not expecting it, and there I am, playing at a reasonably acceptable tempo. It really comes as a nicve surprise. The only way I can expalin this is to think I just needed the nudge from the session ambience, the sound of a dozen or so musicians I admire, and the knowledge that they've been doing this much longer than I have, so they know "how it goes".
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by fiddlefingers
Re: How do I play faster?
How long have you been playing for? How often do you practice? About how long is each practice? I think answers to these questions would give a little more indication of your true point of frustration.
The simple answer is to just keep at it. Bear in mind that professionals are professionals for a reason. It is their life. Also depends what pros you're listening to. Are you having trouble reaching the tempo of a bit more laid back style like some of the East Clare stuff, or are you striving for Dervish speed?
Just keep everything in perspective. I truly believe that if you practice and keep at it long enough, it will eventually come. Everybody's journey with the music is different and mini-goals are reached faster for some people than others.
There's also always the chance that something technical is slowing you down. For instance, with flute players, if we keep are fingers too far above the holes, often it is difficult to play fast simply because it takes just that split second longer to play a note. That being said, have you ever had a teacher or an outside source look at your playing? Do you have enough experience with your instrument that you can play in front of a mirror and look for any technical problems that might be slowing you down?
Just some thoughts.
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by Jason G
Re: How do I play faster?
When you can, play with other people and like the man said, it's the the ambiance. If you're fiddling, keep the strokes short, fingers sure of where they are. Other instruments, don't know. The pros play all the time so that it is second nature. When you know the tune well you'll find your hands flying and you're not even thinking about it.
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by devilselbow
Re: How do I play faster?
Practice slowly. Seems counter-intuitive, but it's true. If you don't learn to play a tune at a slow speed (say half-speed) accurately you'll never be able to play it fast without falling over.
It's all about acquiring the coordination; if you don't have it properly at a slow speed then it certainly won't be there at full speed, so it can only be acquired by slow practice and careful listening.
When a good player plays fast with 100% coordination and rhythm you should be able to hear every note. If someone else plays it at the same speed with less than 100% coordination it is going to sound muddy and indistinct.
Trevor
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by Trevor Jennings
Re: How do I play faster?
To some extent I agree with fiddlefingers: change your context and you might find you've expanded your boundaries. For instance, in a general level session, I tend to put down my flute for fast reels and the like in favour of the (technically less challenging) whistle; however, I had a chance to play some tunes with a fantastic Scottish guitarist the other night and found myself ripping off tough tunes at terrible tempos on the flute with ease and delight.
I also suggest a great book (though definitely classifiable as "pop-psyche) called 'Effortless Mastery" by famed jazz pianist Kenny Werner. This book focuses on forging a focused and "effortless" practice in order to achieve great results. It has changed the way I practice and play radically and - at the time I first worked through it - it helped me make the jump from talented amature to professional player (no intentions of snottiness here, just bein' honest).
Keep up the slow and steady practice. You will, eventually anyway, find that it fosters your fingers to flight...
Good luck!!!!!!
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by bestcraic
Re: How do I play faster?
I had to learn a piece by Liszt for grade 7 piano. It looked OK to begin with, but I decided to find a recording. The family reaction was that ,"no way will you play it ,Mum,".Of course they were right,but I did eventually learn it, phrase by phrase until it eventually came together in a coherent whole. I assume that all music is the same, in order to play as you would wish, the learning process is slow and detailed and often ,seemingly static.Then one day you play it ,not perfectly , but there is something "other " about it, that means that it is more than the sum total of notes.
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by gummidge
Re: How do I play faster?
I might be wrong here, no doubt somebody might correct me . . but if your picking a tune on the guitar, don't expect to ever play as fast as a fiddler or whistle player.Fiddles and whistles "lend " themselves to be played at speed.I'm not saying they are easier to play than a guitar, just physically easier to play fast.
You might prove me wrong and you might one day to play at huuricane speed, good look then and keep practising.
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by Justintime
Re: How do I play faster?
Speed is accuracy.
Also,dont try to over control your movements when you practice,
practice with minimal physical and mental effort and with patience.
If you play with a big swing,it won`t lend itself to play fast comfortably.
Northern players play fast but the swing is minimum if any,sometimes it`s pretty sticato.
unt clare players would generally play at a slower pace partly because of the wide swing,and it just wouldn`t sound that good played fast.
And Kenny Werner`s book,I would highly recommend to any musician.My own musical development has definitly spurted since I read it and also had a week seminar with him,which was payed for by the arts council.Isn`t that great?
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by P.browne
Re: How do I play faster?
And ,Cocaine,loads of cocaine,and biscuits,
and set your watch for a 35hr day
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by P.browne
Re: How do I play faster?
Speed is rote. You've got to get the whole operation into the muscle memory in your fingers, or create a connection such that your brain "hears" the music, and your fingers just make the sound happen. If you have your brain controlling things, you can only get so fast before you hit the ceiling.
Think of how you go about tying your shoelaces these days. Takes about a second, doesn't it? And you don't think about it at all--you just do it. No think for a moment about the steps your fingers go through--cross over and under, make this loop, make that loop, cross over and under again, pull tight, adjust the loops so it looks even.
I'll bet you can't do that "mindfully" in less than about five seconds.
It's the same with playing.
You can only teach your muscles what to do by doing it over and over and over, correctly. That is, slow enough to get it right, every time. If you push yourself and practise going fast, you'll just teact your fingers how to make mud.
Play your tunes a million times two ticks less than the fastest speed you can play cleanly, and you will get faster.
Sure, try adding speed from time to time, but only if you can play cleanly at that speed. If you can't, slow down again. If you're not playing cleanly at any particyular speed, it won't magically "clear up" with practise.
# Posted on October 3rd 2004 by s1m0n
Re: How do I play faster?
I starting learning to play the whistle last spring. There were a few pieces a put aside because I had difficulty with them (fingering, speed, read the music, etc.). About 3-4 months last I tried them again and found it to be easy. The moral of the story . . . just keep practicing. You're learning even when you're not totally aware of it -- it just sneaks up on ya' one day -- the coordination is there, the music is easier to read, you just "get" the feel of the tune, etc. Best wishes!
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by justwhistle
Re: How do I play faster?
Yes practice is the key but what on earth do you want to play like the pros for. I take it you are referring to the recorded pros. Forget it. I was at a memorial concert for Seamus Horan, Fiddle player, on Friday night and all the old timers (as I call them) played a few tunes and without exception they were all played at a nice, even relaxed pace. There were no young bucks breaking the speed limit, so relax, enjoy the music and slow down!
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by MollyB
Re: How do I play faster?
All good advice.
In short the secret of playing fast is playing slow a lot.
Have faith, it will work and it's amazing what you discover about the tunes when you really get to no them.
The most important thing is to enjoy your practice.
Good luck.
PP
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by Pied Piper
Re: How do I play faster?
Another thing: if you can get the rhythm and lift in a tune when you're playing it slowly, you'll have little difficulty in doing it at speed. A workshop tutor last Saturday told us that playing a tune slowly with rhythm is difficult, and so is worth working at.
, and who sometimes gets stick on these discussions for playing slowly, does in fact play those slow reels and jigs with superb rhythm and lift. He is also well capable of moving things on when he wants to.
A world-famous fiddle player, whom I do not propose to name here in case it starts off yet another thread
Trevor
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by Trevor Jennings
Re: How do I play faster?
All the stuff about practising slowly above (s1mon, PP, trevor etc) etc is really good advice! If you you practice faster than you can comfortably play, you're actually going to teach yourself to play badly.
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by Ottery
Re: How do I play faster?
a couple o shots of red bull and vodka and you'll be goin like ninety. it'll probly make ya sound like joe cooley on speed tho...ah no seriously, the slow practice really works. your fingers are more sensitive if the circulation in your hands is good too and they'll respond better to what your brain is trying to make them do. so I suppose you need to exercise your arms a bit...and I don't mean liftin pints or holdin up the bar...
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by anniejryan
Re: How do I play faster?
A lot of good advice for all of us in this thread!
Another factor for plucking instruments is that each note (except for slurred notes) requires action by at least one finger on each hand. Articulating music seems to work the best for me when I only have to focus on doing one thing at a time. This sometimes means rapid transfer of focus between the 2 hands. In fast passages, confusion can arise when attempting to change focus too fast leads to trying to focus on the action of both hands simultaneously. Some suggestions for improvement: practice each hand's part separately, slowly. Practice both parts together, again slowly, expressively, but focusing on just one hand all through the passage. Then try it again, this time focusing on the other hand.
Practice the right hand part both with a pick and fingerstyle, noting the difference in the feel of the piece, and try to apply whatever is advantageous from each approach to your playing, whether using a pick or using fingerstyle.
Examine the fingering for both hands. Due to the nature of the fretboard, there are probably 2 - 10 ways to play any given passage. Try several and see which one lends itself to the piece the best. See which one is the easiest to play. Which one lends itself to the most secure fingering? Which fingering best utilizes the advantage nature has conferred on using the index & middle fingers, as opposed to relying too much on the pinkie? If slurs are musically acceptable in the passage, does using them help acquire more speed?
Also, Try approaching the passage with as many fingers attached to the fretboard as possible, as much as possible. It takes less effort to lift a finger than to accurately plant a finger, especially when playing a fast passage. For the right hand, try anchoring the thumb to a bass string (if playing fingerstyle) or anchoring the pinkie to the soundboard or to the high e - string (if using a pick). These right hand techniques are helpful for some people in some applications.
Play the passage slowly, comfortably, enjoyably, slightly over-expressed several times. Then play it faster than you can, lightly, only paying attention to the accuracy of the left hand, then the right hand. Then go back to playing it slowly. Play it over and over, for 15 minutes.
Don't play too much. Forget about it and go do something else. Don't play that passage again until you have played everything else that you know.
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by ceciltguitar
Re: How do I play faster?
Many thanks everyone! Some pearls of wisdom, and I am enouraged to keep playing. What I'm hearing is: not only practice it slowly, but enjoy it too. And that, I assure you, I shall do. Thank you.
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by Blind Lemon Sonny Boy McPage
Re: How do I play faster?
Um, one other thing -- try not worrying about it, playing fast, I mean. It's human nature to want to play fast, especially in certain places of the globe where normal session speed is faster than a really really fast thing. But you'll be respected for playing the tunes you know well but slower, rather than the tunes you play fast but poorly.
My own experience is that the speed comes with time and repetition, at least in the beginning. One day you find yourself naturally playing something at a speed that feels slow to you, but people are testily asking you why you have to play so fast. Be patient with your playing (because of course we all know that our playing isn't who we are or what measures our self-worth, right?) and it'll come.
Anyway, there's always somebody who can play faster than you. The thing to worry about is playing well at the speed you sound best at.
Good luck!
# Posted on October 4th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: How do I play faster? - Tips for Practice
SPEED UP ROUTINE - most points have already been said. (remember - split the problem into halves - Right & Left - Fibonacci)
Make sure before you start to review your Left hand & Right hand BASIC technique. Even if started correctly you might have slipped
- no good trying to speed up with the wrong technique !!
Step 1: Identify the phrases being difficult (triplets etc) - keep them small (6-10 secs etc)
Step 2: practice these with the Left Hand only -(start slow, speed up and slow down again when tired)
Step 3: practice open strings with the Right Hand (have a routine cross-picking you start slow and speed up and then slow down)
Step 4: Synchronise Right & Left - takes the most effort
(if you have the software start at 80% speed -> then move to 100%, and finally after a few sessions upto 120%)
Step 4: Practice & Practice - 15 minutes a day minuimum for the 1st month
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Naoise