When to Practice Slowly

A lot of songs require fast and co-ordinated movements from the hands and arms. So in a sense our goal is always to play quickly. But sometimes, we need to play slowly to achieve that goal. Here are some instances when playing slowly is, strangely enough, your best bet to playing quickly and properly.

When to play slowly

1. When you don't understand the rhythm: If the song is new, or the rhythm is a bit strange, you're going to need to take some time to make sure you're doing to rhythm properly. This is especially true if you're practicing without a teacher. You need to give yourself enough time to pay attention to the rhythm, while also playing the correct notes with the correct fingers. Sometimes this means playing at half the speed of a song, or even a quarter of the speed (or slower!)

2. When you're trying to encourage a new playing habit: Most of the time, when you can't play something truly difficult, it's because your technique is off, and playing the same way over and over isn't going to change things. You need to slow down enough to make sure the new movement you're making is smaller, more relaxed, and more precise. You simply can't do that when playing quickly. Teaching your hands new muscle memory requires slow and consistent repetition, until the habit starts to feel more natural.

3. When finishing a practice session on a song: The best way to memorize the correct way to play a piece of music is to end with one practice at about half the speed that you would normally play. For some reason, this helps your mind and hands to remember how to play the piece in a more relaxed way (perhaps because it's easier to play in a relaxed state when playing slowly).

Slow down to speed up!

There are probably other instances in which you should play slowly, but those are the three most important ones that come to mind. Practice slowly at the right times, and you will find yourself playing faster than ever... odd as that may seem!