Recently I watched a webinar on music memorization. The speaker covered the various tools we use to memorize -- music analysis, motor memory, visual memory, auditory memory, etc. Someone asked if fast practice was a good tool for muscle memory. I don't remember what he answered, but I realized at that moment that I'd forgotten all about fast practice. I used to occasionally (OK, more than occasionally, which was too often, but still ...) engage in fast practice, where I played a piece a good bit faster than I'd been practicing it, and even a good bit faster than the recommended tempo. There was something about forcing the faster tempo that made the piece easier to play at tempo the next time.
Only problem is, I have always loved to play fast. Quiet, mousy little me actually has quite an inner showoff that comes out occasionally, even I'm only showing off for myself. So I can fall into a habit of playing too fast, or playing the piece all the way through, and then getting sloppy when it comes time for a lesson or performance.
At one piano lesson many moons ago, after I flubbed measure after measure of various pieces I'd played through all week long, my piano teacher gave me this wise advice:
"Performing loosens screws. Drilling tightens them." So, while you should of course play a piece through, at tempo, on occasion, much of your practice time should focus on drilling bits and pieces.
And so I've learned to drill, drill, drill, and not to think so much about performance. (Also, who am I performing for, anyway? No one, that's who.)
My practices now are very focused—this measure, or that section, or the transition between this section and that section. Practice is slow; I rarely play anything at tempo until I absolutely know that it's ready. I enjoy the slow focus; it forces my mind to slow down, and I fall easily into The Zone where time ceases to exist.
But then I started thinking about fast practice. And then I watched a few videos of people playing "Maple Leaf Rag," some of them lightning-fast. And I thought about how I'd love to be able to tear through "Maple Leaf Rag" at breakneck speed, just once or twice, and call it "practice."
For the rest of the day, I thought about "Maple Leaf Rag," and how I couldn't wait to get home and rip through it.
And that's pretty much what I did. A few minutes after I got home, I sat at Roland Nicholas and flew through the A, B, and C sections, and then I flew through the D section, at a slightly slower tempo but still much faster than what I'm used to.
And it didn't sound terrible!
I ripped through it again and felt like dancing at the keyboard. I may indeed have been dancing at the keyboard.
After that, as I drove to Augusta for a volleyball meeting, I thought to myself, "I feel truly happy in this moment."
Friends, that was the first time I've felt truly happy in over a year.
I fast-practiced the first couple of sections once more this morning for the video at the end of this post, but I'll be back to drilling and slow practice after that. I'm thinking I may designate one day a month for unadulteratedly fast practice. Because after I made this video, I flew through all of the major chords around the circle of fifths with the metronome on 120 and didn't start missing notes until I got to A-flat. I was so much fun, and, weirdly, I felt happy again. It think it would be fun to allow myself to do this every once in a while, as long as I don't make it a habit.
I'm certain that the next time I play scales or "Maple Leaf Rag" at a more normal pace, they'll be easy. I think this may be a bit of a breakthrough for me. We'll see if it sticks! Meanwhile, enjoy my imperfect-yet-fast-and-fun rendition of the A and B sections!
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