Building a technique regimen

[chopinlover01]

Hi friends,

I'd like to build a technique regimen to be able to play what in jazz they call "upstairs" - that is, long eighth note lines at extremely fast tempos (ie quarter note = 400). I'm wondering what I could use to build some of this facility. Obviously, scales & arpeggios, and then jazz line patterns on top of that (ie 1-2-3-5 patterns). What else do you all think would be conducive to building a daily practice to build my technique?

Thanks in advance so much, everyone.

Best,
Harrison

[lelle]

Are you talking about like regular passage work or with a long-short rhythm? I'm not too familiar with jazz.

[chopinlover01]

I guess it would be more like regular passage work. At fast tempos, in jazz, you don't actually swing the eighth notes anymore

[ted]

I use a lot of fast finger work in improvisation because I enjoy its orchestral effect. I know how I practise it, how it works for me, but I'm not sure it would be of much use to anybody else as I use my silent Virgil Practice Clavier for it, have done for decades. Broadly speaking I go by finger striking combinations and sequences using a wide variety of notes and positions from close to extended. First I might work sequential striking such as 1,2,3,4,5 then various forms of alternating striking such as 1,3,2,4,3,5. Thirdly I work double note groups such as (1,3)(2,4)(3,5). There are only five double note trills (one finger doesn't play) and each of these can be executed alternating, up/down or inside/outside. I usually give these a burst in some way all over the keyboard too, taking care to use different note combinations I think might be useful in improvising but always varied from day to day to keep interest. At extreme speeds I tend to use all five fingers, no passing over or under, no twisting (white or black notes are all the same).

I try to avoid anything approaching "regimen" these days and one day is never the same as the next with these things. Hands separate seems more efficient for me than hands together unless I want to practise coordination specifically, which in my case isn't very often. Ten minutes morning and night is all I seem to require to do this sort of thing but then I am neither a classical player nor a jazz pianist and a long way from conventional so it might be no use at all to anyone else.

[lelle]

Note that I don't think I can play that fast in the way you are describing, but most of my technical progress has come from carefully studying my own body and learning how to control it and release my muscles as much as possible. No specific regimen or exercise is needed for that, because it's not about repeating various sequences of notes to build skill, as much as it is about figuring out how to mentally control my body for better results and then building that into a habit. For fast playing you need to be very efficient and free from excess/unnecessary tension IMO.

[chopinlover01]

Greatly appreciate all these thoughts coming from everyone. For reference, perhaps the closest example of what I'm trying to become able to do is Keith Jarrett's incredible solo on Woody'n You, from his trio album "The Cure":
https://open.spotify.com/track/3qPl1TlEKW4BxpG49HCENy?si=zifWBT6lSUqa6tB2C74B-g&utm_source=copy-link

[ranjit]

I would practice being able to play each finger and then immediately relax, while staying on top of the keys. Also, the solo you sent looks like it's going up and down in around 4-note positions. For that you would need to be able to play four notes in succession in one hand position, group, movement, while releasing the fingers so that the notes don't smudge.

[lostinidlewonder]

I'd like to build a technique regimen to be able to play.....long eighth note lines at extremely fast tempos (ie quarter note = 400)

So eighth notes at 400 quarter note bpm is 800 notes in a minute, around 13 notes a second. I'm sure you want short bursts of speed rather than unbroken speed for extended time. If a fast passage is shared by two hands then of course you can go much faster than what you want. You often can sneak in two hands playing something fast especially when the support is only playing a note here or there.

It of course all depends on context. Patterns where you are not moving position much or are highly repetitive are easier than others. You can generate immense speed by rolling the positions and especially if shared by two hands rather than tapping out each finger (you can get to speeds that are so fast that it practically sounds all together even though it is not lol)

Do you have a specific passage or pattern in mind that you'd want to play that fast with a single hand?