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Speed Kills? No,
Tension Kills Speed! |
| If you find yourself becoming
more and more tense the faster you try to play, this tip is for you. I recently
purchased a book by Adam Rafferty, a jazz player known for his lightening
yet accurate speed. It's one of the best books on the subject I've seen
out there. It's called, "How To Develop Virtuoso Single Line Technique
For Jazz Guitar." Long title, short book that's concise yet very effective
and crammed full of valuable exercises. Following are some paraphrased excerpts
from his book. |
- Go Easy On Yourself
You are not beating the instrument down. Find the balance between playing
too hard and too soft. Know that by doing this routine regularly you
are learning how to go with the instrument. Dizzy Gillespi once said,
"Everything I play is easy. If it feels stiff, I discard it."
- If You Go Slowly and
Accurately, You Will Surely Develop Speed.
If you try and do exercises too fast you will hurt yourself. I never
ever practice with a metronome, but I play exercises as sixteenth notes
around quarter note = 80 mm. Like an athlete, don't even think about
playing fast until you are warmed up. Stay loose, breath deep and relax.
The main idea here is not to practice at too fast a speed. Stay loose
and relaxed, speed will come as a by-product.
Your body is smarter than you think - if you are feeling pain or tension,
listen to it! If you try to achieve too much (mind over body) your body
will say, "No way, buddy!" and you will pay. That is how people end
up with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - ignoring pain or tension. You could
put your playing out of commission for months due to injuring yourself!
Look at this as the start of a new routine for the rest of your life.
30-60 minutes a day in a relaxed non-acheiving manner will add up quickly
in the upcoming weeks, months and years. It's a small price to pay for
gaining great technique on your guitar.
- Give Your Full Concentration
This is not just physical - it's mental, musical and spiritual. You
can't watch TV or talk to someone while you do this stuff.
- Don't Be Overwhelmed
It's not about doing every exercise right away. It's about putting in
the time everyday with the right mental attitude. Even if you have only
learned the first exercise in the book, play it 4 times consecutively
and with a focused mind.
These are only the first 4
steps outline in the book. I've worked these exercises the way Adam suggests
and I must say that he's onto something here. I've actually been practicing
slowly and in the process my speed has increased! There's a concept for
you, to gain speed, slow down! There's much more to the book and the concepts
behind it. The main tip here is this- to increase your speed, practice
playing steady and relaxed and the speed will come!
I highly recommend Adam's book.
Click
here to check it out.
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