View Full Version : Playing fast is easy
NewsFetcher
Jan-14-2010, 11:40pm
Canadian mandolin wiz Andrew Collins made this point to me, so I should give credit where its due. His quote is, "Playing fast is easy. Can you...
Read this blog entry... (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/blog.php?b=229)
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billkilpatrick
Jan-15-2010, 2:14am
i read the words but they haven't sunk in yet ... wonder if that works for duo style as well?
I dunno. Speed comes faster to some than others. Seems like certain pickers are just wired to play fast.
fredfrank
Jan-15-2010, 12:32pm
I've always wondered why I can't get my single note picking up there in the high speed zone. I mean, I can tremolo quite easily, but . . . I think it has more to do with coordinating the right hand and left hand than it does the right hand speed. Those amazing triplet runs that Alan Bibey and Chris Thile and Mike Marshall (not to mention a lot of other guys) can rip off with seemingly effortless proficiency, are mind-boggling to me.
Glassweb
Jan-15-2010, 12:51pm
it's physiology Fred... the differences we all have in musculature, things skeletal etc... that's why Spud Webb (remember him?), at 5'7", could slam dunk a basketball way above the rim and we can't! physiology rules. same with tremelo speed and the ability to play fast. wrist, hand, fingers... lots of moving parts there...
jjoyce
Jan-15-2010, 3:37pm
When I play fast, my noting clarity and tone go out the window, and I'd rather sound good than fast. I can play fast-moving tremelo, but fast tempo is difficult. I sure would like to know how to play fast and keep my head together....
Bluman
Jan-15-2010, 4:04pm
I took a week of Lessons form Collins a couple of years ago and he introduced this concept of learning short phases at speed using a metronome. He said that is what really opened the door for him. I tried but haven't yet mastered it fully. I did start learning waltzes at full speed and that does seem to work for me, but I haven't put in the necessary work on the faster pieces.