Technique question - for teachers and players

[SousaSaver]

To all teachers and players...

I do more fixing than I do playing, and I humbly divert to your wisdom and experience for help.

How does one develop really clean, fast technical skills? Is it just rudiments and repetition or is there something more physical that must be done.

I have a beautiful singing tone in passages that are lyrical, but in fast technical passages the sound turns into more of a hard articulation. I can physically do it, it just doesn't sound as good as I would like it to.

Any suggestions from those who know more than I do?

[Biggs]

"Practice slowly to improve quickly. Practice quickly to improve slowly."

- Dr. D. Paul Pollard, New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

[swillafew]

The faster you intend something to go, the more slowly you have to begin to drill it. Increase the speed slowly, and plan a long steady progression through many increments on the metronome. It takes a few months to build up a really rapid passage.

[ckalaher1]

SLOW.

For me at least, I have always tried to break the passages down into smaller sections, making them workable, then trying to connect everything together.

I've also had success working from the uncomfortable to the comfortable. Just my .02. YMMV.

[iiipopes]

After you have slowed everything down to the point you can play it technically correct, then repeat until it becomes fluid and musical according to any articulation and dynamic indications in the music at that tempo. Then, and only then, start the metronome up a few beats per minute, and practice again until it becomes fluid and musical. Repeat until you get it to where the conductor or director wants it.

Chopping it up in sections helps you define your phrases and how you add to the overall musicality.

Then another technique is to start at the last measure, play through, then the next to last measure, play through, etc., so you hear where it's going to end up so you can keep that thought in mind as you form the phrases to help the segments become a whole.

[Doug Elliott]

So far everyone has suggested SLOW. That's good and necessary, but in addition to that, this works well:

Break it up into very small groups of notes, maybe only 4 notes at a time. Repeat those 4 notes in a string, over and over many times. If it's 4 sixteenth notes, make it into a continuous string of sixteenth notes repeating the pattern. Then play it half that speed. Alternate between as fast as you can and half that speed (and maybe half again). Just those 4 notes.

Then go on to the next 4 notes. Go through the entire piece that way. You will be able to isolate those groups that are particularly difficult, and spend more time on them individually. So you're not "wasting time" on what can already do.

Then make it 8 notes and practice it the same way, alternating fast and slow.

Prtetty soon you'll be able to play everything that is required, in small doses, at the tempo you want or even faster.

Now put it together.