Rob Luft on how to practice exercises

Practicing at Slower Tempos

One thing I've always thought about practicing is that if you do the slower tempo practice first with a metronome, really nail it, and be accurate, you will develop the faster tempos without hesitation.

Key Concept:

• Practice things slowly and accurately; the faster tempos will take care of themselves.

Example: C Major Scale

Let's take the C major scale, C Ionian, the simplest scale on an instrument like the piano. Here we are:

1. Get a Metronome:

   • Maybe you've got an app for a metronome on your phone.
   • Set it at a slow tempo (for example, 60 beats per minute).

2. Practice Playing the C Major Scale:

   • Try playing this scale with:
     • Two strokes per note
     • Three notes per stroke
     • Four notes per stroke
     • Double it up (five notes per stroke), etc.

If you take care of these slower tempos and work on things at the base tempo, when it comes to playing fast, these things will take care of themselves.

Relationship to Other Pieces

Regarding the grades and the songs in this course, I really have to say that if you work on these at a slower tempo, the faster tempos in the records and recordings will be much easier for you.

For example, if I were at an earlier stage in my development and was working on a piece such as Dark Matter, I would practice each phrase extremely slowly and methodically.

The use of a metronome allows me, at my current development stage, to look at the piece and play it straight away. This is incredibly helpful.

Final Thought

As a professional guitarist faced with new music all the time, developing the skill to take it slow is extremely important.

So, just take it slow, enjoy yourselves, and develop at your own pace.