Trumpetboy Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 So I have Auditions next month and im playing a really cool very difficult audition piece but the only problem I have with it is that my fingers are too slow for all the runs! :( Can anyone tell me how to practice speeding my fingers up??? it would help me out mucho grande! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMarinello Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 So I have Auditions next month and im playing a really cool very difficult audition piece but the only problem I have with it is that my fingers are too slow for all the runs! :( Can anyone tell me how to practice speeding my fingers up??? it would help me out mucho grande! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmm...well, the usual remedy is to practice slower. Everyone has heard this but few understand how to do it on their own because of the patience involved (myself included). Even the best musicians in the world have trouble exercising patience in practice. So here's a suggestion: Take the runs stupidly slow at the point to where you make ZERO mistakes. Set a metronome and use it every time you practice the runs. Don't play the runs at any speed quicker than what you can do PERFECTLY. If you play with mistakes, you are rehearsing and engraving those mistakes in your muscle memory. So, jack up the metronome a couple clicks twice or three times a day. Day1 60bpm, 10 am, 12 times through 60bpm, 2pm, 6times through 63bpm, 2pm, 12 times through 63bpm, 7pm, 6 times 65 bpm, 7pm, 12 times ETC ETC ETC... This is not a perfect system because the brain is not a machine. So, keep your brain guessing at times. Throw in some quicker tempos just to remind your brain of the goal in mind, but don't keep trying to do it if you mess up. Throw in some slower tempos to reinforce the connections. If you keep this up for a week or two solid, you will be amazingly impressed. Will you be perfect, maybe not in two weeks. But you'll be closer. Tony This is the best i could do without typing up a dissertation and it's only one version of the same principle. I'm sure any teacher/band director can give you many more ways that will keepyour brain guessing. Talk to a weight lifter about how they keep the muscles guessing to increase results. It's the same type of deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevingamin Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 A suggestion one of my trumpet teachers gave me when I was in high school was to take the runs BACKWARDS a few times. For some reason, playing it backwards helps your comfort level when playing it normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 A suggestion one of my trumpet teachers gave me when I was in high school was to take the runs BACKWARDS a few times. For some reason, playing it backwards helps your comfort level when playing it normal. Sounds like a recipe for a Z-pull. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeW Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 move to Brass Forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelloHorn13 Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Practice the runs with a met. at a slower tempo and then increase the speed. To practice building speed, I use a met. and played chromatic scales at slow tempos and increased the speed. I'm up to 16th notes at 180bpm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmpiano Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 I was a pianist before I started playing trumpet, and that allowed me to play more difficult runs more quickly than a lot of others with my experience level. So, my reccommendation is that if you don't have the time, desire, or need to learn how to play piano, at least play the runs on the piano as written, to develop more finger strength. DO NOT play on an electronic keyboard as these do not have the resistance you need to develop strength. A lot of the ideas above are quite good though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelloHorn13 Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 never thought about using a piano.... gotta add that to way to build speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mir Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 break down the run....slowing down the tempo works well...but the most effective part for myself is taking 3 or 4 notes at a time and slowly add more... if the run is 6 sixteenths...take each sixteenth one at a time until you can play them perfectly but seperate...then slowly at the second to the first...the fourth to the third/....the sixth to the fifth...then compile...this way you don't have to play everything really really slow....I know that doesn't work for myself ....but the technique above does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTonHolLa Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Practice the runs with a met. at a slower tempo and then increase the speed.To practice building speed, I use a met. and played chromatic scales at slow tempos and increased the speed. I'm up to 16th notes at 180bpm <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See, the "a few clicks on the met each day" approach is the obvious answer, but I always hit a breaking point. Say, I can play it at 150, but at 152 I break down entirely. Anyone else ever have this experience or know any ways to overcome it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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