Actually, i would disagree with the slow practice bit. When I learn apiece, I play it up to tempo FIRST, mistakes and all. Playing quicklyin the learning stage helps the muscles learn and remember how to movequickly. Once I have grasped what kind of motion and movement isneeded for fast passage, then I learn the notes. This really onlyworks if you can sight read well.Maria, if your forearms ever get tight, you arent using your shouldersand torso enough. 10 times out of 10 this is true. Chopin studiesare rough! Everyone in the world is still working on them. You haveto incorporate the large muscles (shoulder) in order to play them oranything else. Period. Good luck. By the way, learn the doublethird scales. I do them all through twice a day, once staccato andonce legato.
Finding the correct hand motions for fast play is part of the exploratory period. It will probably involve some trial and error. Once you've discovered the correct motions, you should only do a few fast repetitions to be sure that these motions indeed work. You are not really practicing these fast motions, only testing them, so only a few repetitions are necessary.
Then you begin your slow motion practice. Here you do many repetitions in slow motion. You're totally relaxed and in control. However, an amazing thing will begin to happen. As you practice these slow motion movements accurately, eventually your hand will naturally want to go faster.
Thanks for your answerSo, I'm supposed to just play a very small piece fast twice or three times and then switch to slow motion practice?Do you use this method?Do you think this may prevent possible injuries you may get from playing fast first?
Also, I wonder: after you've witched from fast to slow motion should you bring the piece up to speed gradually (put always using the same motions you will use at fast speed) or maybe you just repeat the small passage a lot of times at slow motion and then switch again immediately to fast motionSo, when you use slow motion practice do you use gradually increment of speed or just switch from slow to fast?
Yes I've noticed this toorepetition by repetition the hand wnt to go faster as it get aquaninted with the small passages movements and rhythmShould I slow it dows in this case or let the hand choose the speed it wants?
I also wondered if you have ever used the alternating fast and slow practice that Chang himself suggests, once or twice slow and once or twice fast and so on till you have the passage at speed
Now, a summary of this wouold be:You can injury by using the "playing fast first" method if you1) choose a passage that is too long2) play the fast exploratory speed first too many times But you can avoid injuries if you1) choose a very small passage2) do very few fast exploratory repetitions before switching to slow motion practiceIs that right ?
I also wonder another thingIf you use this method, do you have ever experinced the problem of having to find the correct hand motion of a small passage by playing it fast first few times before switching to slow motion, but your fingers are somehwat not able to move at such fast speed even if the passage is very small and therepetition are vey few... you simply can't even do one repetition of the small passage at such a speedIf that happened to you, what did you do in this instance?
I hope I've answered your questions.
I've been suffering from mild tendonitis lately and according to my teacher it is due to playing fast before having done enough slow speed practice