Hurry up and slow down!

[Libre]

Here's a tip. SLOW DOWN! Yeah, we all want to play with Baruecco's virtuosity, but the problem is, we don't have it. Once I've heard a piece enough to want to play it, I also have the tempo of the recording in my mind, and that's where the trouble starts. I know I should concentrate on clarity and accuracy, but no matter how relaxed a tempo I start a piece, I realize, about half-way through, that I have sped up and now I'm on a runaway train with no way to slow the thing down. It's almost unconcious - the acceleration - but to deliberately slow DOWN sounds forced and will ruin the flow of the piece.
SO, what I do, is to mark certain phrases in my mind, and when I hit those phrases, I tell myself to watch the tempo. That way, I can prevent the piece from unintentionally speeding up!

[Phytobezoar]

I also notice the unconscious acceleration at times. It only becomes apparent at transition points in a piece. If the transition is sloppy, I know I'm moving too quickly. Time to hit the brakes.

[daniel711]

Yeah, that's a common one. My teacher says never to play a peice faster than you can COMFORTABLY play the most difficult measure(s). I tend to suffer this problem more when I'm anxious, such as when I'm performing the piece. It's like I want to finish the piece before the unthinkable happens!

[Libre]

My teacher says never to play a peice faster than you can COMFORTABLY play the most difficult measure(s).
That approach works well sometimes, but other times, it is a poor approach. Not that I want to contradict your teacher, but let's look at the problem a little more deeply.
If the piece is a seriously difficult piece - like let's say Bach's Emaj Prelude that we have already discussed before - then that solution is good. There are problem measures all over - in fact the piece is one gigantic problem to be solved. THen, your teacher's solution is good - play the whole thing at a tempo you are comfortable with.
The cases where that approach is (IMHO) wrong, is when there are just a few troublesome phrases in the piece. Most of the pieces I play fall into this category. I don't want the whole piece to suffer, tempo-wise. I could still mess up those few phrases if they are really hard - no matter what tempo I'm playing.
Here is another approach - make those few phrases easier - that's right - easier. Simplify them, while preserving the musical intent, if possible. Then, you can play the piece at a tempo that won't anesthetize your listeners, and they won't know or care that you simplified several difficult phrases. I'll knock a note out of a chord, to make the chord easier, as fast as I'll knock a mosquito off my arm. I don't care if I'm losing the "purity" of the chord. Nobody cares, they want to hear the tune. Don't lose the melody, that's all.
Even if I can't simplify those phrases, I'd still rather play most of the piece in an exciting way and blow (or at least fake) those 2 or 3 phrases.
THe main thing is, DON'T SPEED UP WHILE PLAYING!! Play the piece, don't let it play you!
mf

[WillBee]

the problem, marc, is making the decision about whether something should be simplified, or just practiced more. too much of the former, you don't improve but too much of the latter, you're not able to play all the pieces you might otherwise.

it sounds like daniel's teacher (like all good teachers) is most concerned with his improving than anything else

there was a long thread a while ago that actually got pretty nasty about whether it was okay, when playing villa-lobos etude #1, to drop the bottom G# on the inverted E-major chord. i don't want those flames to be fanned again...but imho, while difficult, that's something that should definately be practiced, since pinky stretches help in lots of pieces. it just took me about 1 hr of repetively making that one chord change ( inverted e-minor to inverted E major) to be able to do it smoothly. and so, theoretically, any difficult passage, if isolated and practiced enough, can be conquered. instead of simplifying a piece, i'd rather leave it, and come back 6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years later when my technical ability has caught up to my repetoire choices

[Libre]

I use technique exercises to improve technique, and repertoire to reach an audience.
They both ultimately help you to improve.

[M. Stephenson]

While I agree with slowing down to get the hard parts, I want to throw out another idea:

Once the muscle memory for a phrase is "in the system" and one has achieveid some level of proficiency, it might be helpful to crank up the speed so that one is playing the phrase faster than required.

If one is slowly bringing something up-to-speed, the being at speed is going to still be a struggle - it will be the pinnacle of ones abilities. However, if one progresses beyond up-to-speed and goes to faster-than-speed, then playing up-to-speed will be less of a challenge.

I have found that when I hammer on a rough section and get it faster than needed, I tend to be more relaxed when I play the phrase in the context of the piece. Of course, this does happen until I have spent time much time moving slowly thru the phrase.

[John_c]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet - I ALWAYS practice with a metronome, especially when practicing scales. That way I know what my speed was the week before and I also record myself and listen for clarity, consistency and feeling, yes, even with scales. That way, if I can have played my major scales at one speed the week before and a week later can play them 5bpm faster and have maintained or improved my timing, feel, clarity etc...then I mark it down as an improvement and continue. It's not hard to do, takes no time at all to mark down in a notebook the date, what you practiced and any gains or things to improve on but the pay off is excellent.

For pieces of music that have a consistent tempo through them (ie, very little ritards or areas where they slow down) I also use it. Even if you do encounter a part of the music where it ritards, then play it like you normally do, then pause and come in on the next downbeat/pick up note whatever.

I'm a beginner so I don't know how the more advanced players here feel about metronomes but I find them to be indispensable when it comes to practicing.

Any tips with regards to metro-practicing would still be greatly appreciated!
Be well my friends,
JC

[Libre]

Hey John_c-
I was talking more about speeding up in performance, than in practice.
By the way, I wrote a pretty detailed thread about metronome use recently. Not sure exactly where it is - but if you look around, you will probably find it.

[John_c]

Libre, thanks for pointing that out and your thread on metronome use...you are truly a scholar. And a gentleman too, no doubt :)

EDIT Here is the thread (http://forum.guitarsalon.com/viewtopic.php?p=17381&highlight=metronome#17381//url) you wrote on subway dwarfs har har! :P Thanks a million, it was very informative, similar to stuff I've read from other top pros and to be honest, if you had told me five years ago the best way to become fast or establish great technique was to go very slow, I'd have laughed. Such is the benefits of experience. Thank you Marc,
JC

[Libre]

Thanks, John-
Your pat on the back definitely sooths the slap in the face I received in the Wrong Note thread I posted.
I appreciate it - I hope those subway dwarves help you!

[J]

I agree with M. Stephenson. I practice a piece until I can play the whole thing faster than necessary. Even if it's just a few bpm more. That way the most difficult section seems easier to play when performed.

And Metronomes are your friend