Slow practice

Question:

I had/have the same issues.  I am learning the intro to "Octopusses Garden". At normal speed it is played pretty fast and all the notes slur together and sound really cool. Of course I wanted to jump in and play it this fast and have it sound good.  Of course I never could.  I was able to hit most of the notes, but it didn’t sound anywhere near right. Then I slowed it down and practiced it over and over.  Now that I can play it cleanly at slower speeds, I find that I can sometimes hit the thing good at normal speed, and when I do it sounds pretty good, with some slurring and stuff. When I practiced it slow, it sure didn’t sound like the faster version.  What it did was really help me focus on the mechanics and the fingering in order to find the way to play it that required the least amount of finger movement. Also, by practicing it slow I think it helped me aquire the "feel" and ingraine the technique of the riff.  This allows me to play it at faster speed without thinking about it.  You just kinda let it go. Whenever I concentrate on it I always mess up. Slow is good. Paul D. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > That is exactly my point.  Those parts that don’t sound right slow are > actually being played wrong, slow or fast.  When you slow it down and bring > the speed up gradually you learn to keep all parts at perspective. > > Wow, it has been a while since one of my electric guitars has even >  been out > > of its case.  I decided to try a new song and my speed is definitely >  rusty. > > Long story short.  Beginners playing something >  slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is the > > trick.  I was having trouble with a lick, so I slowed it down. >  There was a > > spot where I needed to pick drag across three strings, and this was >  where my > > problem was.  If I was playing slow I did this too fast, and then >  when I > > tried faster I did this too slow.  It needed to be the same speed to >  sound > > right.  When I practiced slow and then speeded up it was much easier > to see > I often have problems with trying to play things slower to learn them, > as there’s often certain parts which don’t sound right when played > slow, especially hammer-ons etc. But slowing down then speeding up is > definitely the way to go. I use a tab program which plays the song in > midi and follows the tab by highlighting the note being played, so > when trying to get a song, I put the tab into this program, then slow > the BPM down and pick along note by note, then gradually speed it up > > Rikki

Response:

One of the best investments I ever made for learning guitar is a Gemini CD-110 CD player.  It gives me the ability to slow (or speed up) the CD.  It also has a function that allows me to select any portion of the CD and infinitely repeat it.  With this thing learning a tough section of a song becomes much easier!! Elwood.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> That is exactly my point.  Those parts that don’t sound right slow are > actually being played wrong, slow or fast.  When you slow it down and bring > the speed up gradually you learn to keep all parts at perspective. > > Wow, it has been a while since one of my electric guitars has even > been out > > of its case.  I decided to try a new song and my speed is definitely > rusty. > > Long story short.  Beginners playing something > slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is the > > trick.  I was having trouble with a lick, so I slowed it down. > There was a > > spot where I needed to pick drag across three strings, and this was > where my > > problem was.  If I was playing slow I did this too fast, and then > when I > > tried faster I did this too slow.  It needed to be the same speed to > sound > > right.  When I practiced slow and then speeded up it was much easier > to see > I often have problems with trying to play things slower to learn them, > as there’s often certain parts which don’t sound right when played > slow, especially hammer-ons etc. But slowing down then speeding up is > definitely the way to go. I use a tab program which plays the song in > midi and follows the tab by highlighting the note being played, so > when trying to get a song, I put the tab into this program, then slow > the BPM down and pick along note by note, then gradually speed it up > > Rikki

Response:

> Wow, it has been a while since one of my electric guitars has even been out > of its case.  I decided to try a new song and my speed is definitely rusty. > Long story short.  Beginners playing something

slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is the > trick.  I was having trouble with a lick, so I slowed it down. There was a > spot where I needed to pick drag across three strings, and this was where my > problem was.  If I was playing slow I did this too fast, and then when I > tried faster I did this too slow.  It needed to be the same speed to sound > right.  When I practiced slow and then speeded up it was much easier

to see I often have problems with trying to play things slower to learn them, as there’s often certain parts which don’t sound right when played slow, especially hammer-ons etc. But slowing down then speeding up is definitely the way to go. I use a tab program which plays the song in midi and follows the tab by highlighting the note being played, so when trying to get a song, I put the tab into this program, then slow the BPM down and pick along note by note, then gradually speed it up Rikki

Response:

That is exactly my point.  Those parts that don’t sound right slow are actually being played wrong, slow or fast.  When you slow it down and bring the speed up gradually you learn to keep all parts at perspective.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Wow, it has been a while since one of my electric guitars has even > been out > of its case.  I decided to try a new song and my speed is definitely > rusty. > Long story short.  Beginners playing something > slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is the > trick.  I was having trouble with a lick, so I slowed it down. > There was a > spot where I needed to pick drag across three strings, and this was > where my > problem was.  If I was playing slow I did this too fast, and then > when I > tried faster I did this too slow.  It needed to be the same speed to > sound > right.  When I practiced slow and then speeded up it was much easier > to see > I often have problems with trying to play things slower to learn them, > as there’s often certain parts which don’t sound right when played > slow, especially hammer-ons etc. But slowing down then speeding up is > definitely the way to go. I use a tab program which plays the song in > midi and follows the tab by highlighting the note being played, so > when trying to get a song, I put the tab into this program, then slow > the BPM down and pick along note by note, then gradually speed it up > > Rikki

Response:

Wow, it has been a while since one of my electric guitars has even been out of its case.  I decided to try a new song and my speed is definitely rusty. Long story short.  Beginners playing something slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is the trick.  I was having trouble with a lick, so I slowed it down.  There was a spot where I needed to pick drag across three strings, and this was where my problem was.  If I was playing slow I did this too fast, and then when I tried faster I did this too slow.  It needed to be the same speed to sound right.  When I practiced slow and then speeded up it was much easier to see this and correct it.  I will again push a product.  Slow Speed CD by www.ronimusic.com   There are plug ins that work just as well, but this program is so convenient and I don’t know how I ever learned to play without it.

Response:

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