Practicing slow pieces

[tmjorden]

I need help with ways to help practicing slow pieces. If this helps it i'd Debussys La Soiree dans Grenade. Also with any pieces that are not technical just tips on practicing these would be great.

[iansinclair]

Tempo!  It is oddly difficult to keep an even tempo.  What needs to happen is to learn the piece at an even -- and reasonably appropriate tempo first, and get it really solid.  Then, and only then, can you afford to bend the tempo a little.

I never thought I'd say this to a student, but... you may find you need to use a metronome until you get it even.

[j_tour]

I agree with iansinclair, except that I would have led with the metronome.  I've never played the Debussy, but for anything with more than three voices, if it's very slow, I can't see any other way than the metronome.  Maybe deep meditation, I don't know.

However, there are ways to really "feel" the metronome -- some people describe it as not hearing the clicks at a fast tempo (presumably because your own notes are right on), or just sort of grooving on it, like a pop tune or something.  It doesn't have to be that bad -- just think of the metronome as a decent drummer playing in the room with you.