Slowing Down to Speed Up in Your Piano Journey
Sometimes our piano journey can become challenging, even when we are consistently putting in the hours to practice, listen and read various parts of theory and music.
The advances in technology have allowed us to feel instant gratification which in turn leads our needs to be met at a faster pace. For music, this means we want to speed up and play very quickly. When in reality, especially when we are trying to improve at a particular skill, we very rarely can make continuous progress whilst speeding up before we are ready.
The golden rule to improve in a technique or area you find challenging a students aim should be to keep a consistent tempo without slowing down or speeding up. Practically this can enhance their coordination and mobility. If you are struggling to keep a consistent tempo, try using a metronome, setting this at a slower speed to what you would do at the moment.
Theoretically it can allow them to process the information which will later apply in their piano playing and likely in other areas of their lives too. If you find a particular area difficult to understand, try breaking this down or exploring a new learning method with your teacher or mentor. Often there are steps, diagrams or everyday analogies to enhance our understanding in music theory.
One of the benefits of playing the piano and using hacks mentioned in this blog post, is that you can often see the results within a few moments. This followed by repetition will then allow the student to feel more comfortable and confident in their piano playing abilities.
Remember that when you are trying out these hacks to look at them little and often but also be patient with yourself. If you wish to know more about these hacks and resources, feel free to take a look around our website or connect with us directly!
