Play SLOWER! when practicing music

It's a mantra among all the best musicians I've ever known. It is a message I repeat to my students at least 40 times everyday. I say it because I care.

Here is an excellent article that breaks down why this is so crucial and yet so often ignored.
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/is-slow-practice-really-necessary/

Play SLOWER! when practicing music. It’s a mantra among all the best musicians I’ve ever known. It is a message I repeat to my students at least 40 times everyday. I say it because I care.

Here is an excellent article that breaks down why this is so crucial and yet so often ignored.
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/is-slow-practice-really-necessary/

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13 thoughts on “Play SLOWER! when practicing music

  1. Mark Kidd says:

    And turn down/off distortion. Maskes too much.

    Btw what bpm is considered super slow? 60? 30m

  2. Phil Wigfall says:

    Yep. So true. I was witness to this first hand at Berklee.  I remember it like it was yesterday…
    (Cue screen blur with arpeggiating whole tones)
    In my first week of the Fall semester at Berklee, I remember this tenor sax player who was practicing in the next room.  He was running these Michael Breckeresque licks up and down at break neck speed. They were fast, but they weren't clean, and the tone wasn't fat.  Fast forward to the end of the Spring semester, the following year.  I heard the same guy, practicing the same licks, at the same speed…and it never improved, not one iota. Not the tone, not the cleanliness, and definitely not the speed!  Breckerman wasted NINE MONTHS of practice time, and never improved once!  So, the moral of the story is: Don't be like Breckerman!  Practice slowly!

  3. James Gabbett says:

    Absolutely agree. It actually doesn't take too long to play something really fast, but to play it well – that takes deliberate and conscious effort at slow speed – enunciating notes, getting the timing right, etc.

  4. Lew Bloch says:

    Slow, but rock steady.
    Slow, but even more musical. Slow, but even better intonation. Slow, but an even more even tone. Slow, but fully counting all the "rests" while hearing the part(s) you aren't playing. Slow, but perfectly phrased. Slow, but rock steady.

  5. Rockett Roll says:

    I don't know why I have such a hard time with that because I have a lot of trouble with playing fast.  That should be the big clue, eh?

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