Speed

[butterfly79]

How do I practice to get faster? I am pretty slow in IMO.

[gyzzzmo]

B playing alot of etudes for a long time. Thats how you gain 'control' of speed.

[pianisten1989]

To practise slooooowly, with control.

[rmbarbosa]

I do agree with the other members told to you. But sometimes you can increase your speed using the "parallel sets"(PS). A PS is a group of notes you may play simultaneously with one hand. If you play simultaneously 2 notes, you are playing them  with infinite speed, arent you? Because the time between one note and the other is zero. Now, if you lift one of the two fingers a little and play, there is a little delay between one note and the other. This delay is called "phase angle". You may choose a phase angle more or less small. The highest PS speed is attained by reducing the phase angle. With PS, you may speed a lot. Try it with your 5 fingers. Play c-d-e-f-g simultaneously a lot of times and fast. Then, lift your fingers making a phase angle: finger 1 down, finger 2 a bit higher, finger 3 a little higher than finger 2... if you let your hand fall on the keyboard, you play c-d-e-f-g very fast. Repeat a lot of times the same PS. You`ll see how fast you can play now. You can do the same thing with scales, harps, whenever you may choose a PS, you see? You can learn more about PS in "Fundamentals of piano practice" by Mr, C. Chang (www.pianopractice.org/)
Best wishes
Rui

[faulty_damper]

To play fast you must practice fast.  Do not attempt to play fast by practicing slow - it won't work.

There are some reasons why you can't play fast:
1. coordination - without this you can not depress the keys.  Coordination can be increased with slow to moderate speed practice.
2. neurological and muscular - the nerves send electrical signals to the muscles to contract.  Without conditioning, electrical signals are slow.  With extensive conditioning, electrical signals can be very fast.  The faster the signals the faster you can play.  This can only be increased by fast practice.

More on No.2
This is the most difficult of the two mentioned.  What it will  feel like during practice will include all of the following:
Muscles burn
Fingers do not have control
Mind does not have control
Fingers will not do what you want it to
Heart rate increases

As a result of not having control, it will not sound like the music you want.  This is only temporary.  Don't stress over it.

So if you want to be able to play fast you must practice fast and being aware of how it should feel like will make it much easier to accept the lack of musicianship during this conditioning and lower your frustration levels.

[rmbarbosa]

Yes, to play fast one must play...fast. But there`s a thing called "fast degradation". So, I think we must begin a piece playing slow, one or two bars or a musical phrase. Then, when we are abble to play these bars slowly but well - when they are "in" our fingers - we must try to play them fast and see if we can do it well or if there are speed walls. In this last case, we can eliminate speed walls with the PS, thumb over, etc. And return to play slowly. Slow - fast - slow...
Its very important play slow the last time we play the piece in the day. If we play fast the last time, in the next day we cant play well. And this is true when one go to the lesson with the teacher. The last time we play before going, we must play very slow, not fast. All this is very well explained by Mr. C. Chang.

[gene2701]

just 'anticipate every sound' first in ur head before u play them.

[stringoverstrung]

Hi,

it is also worth checking how you are leaving the key. By checking i mean really examining how you are leaving the key when the note has been played.