Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-04-02 04:29
“I say that the SLOW drill goes on and on (it is NEVER too late to practice a passage SLOWLY). And then at given points you can jump up to higher speeds to "check on learning" but to LEARN the part, you must constantly drill S-L-O-W-L-Y.”
Paul: we’ve been down this road before, several times in fact. You preach the “always take things slow doctrine,” and people like me, and Ken [Shaw], and Karl [Krelove], and otherwise better known and better players/board contributors than me chime in with objection, or at least differing opinions.
Invariably thereafter, you modify your position. I could dig up examples if you like, but better, I will ask you to rethink this position going forward.
First, call it semantics, but when we are not performing for others, and sometimes even when we are, we are “drilling,” or practicing if you will for the purposes of getting better. You can’t by definition constantly drill slowly AND jump up to higher speeds anymore than you should, even if you could.
I want to assume the Julian Bliss video you refer to is this.
https://youtu.be/zUVNYVKA0z4?t=2m8s
I call it the Bliss “there are no shortcuts” video.
If so, it is my belief you take Bliss’ statements about practicing slow out of context, and lose the essence of what Bliss is really trying to say. Bliss is talking about practicing slow because he knows that so many players take passages faster than the can accurately play them, and in so doing, if I may paraphrase Karl, are just reinforcing mistake making, which is more than a waste of time, it’s downright counterproductive.
Rather, the true essence of Bliss’ message, I think, lies at around 2:08, where my link is positioned. At this point he talks about taking things slowly, not for slowness’ sake, but rather, to go no faster (i.e. if necessary slow) than a player can repeatedly play a piece flawlessly. Slowness refers to the method with which the metronome is increased in speed, not that it’s never increased in speed. One does not just jump up to higher speeds as you mention because one is already (or should be) playing as fast as they accurately can, meaning that immediate tempo increases are synonymous with near guaranteed errors in play (a bad thing as it reinforces errors.) And if you can take some phrase, passage or piece at 60 bpm, (and that’s below performance tempo) you don’t waste time (a clarinetist’s most precious asset) at 40 bpm. Instead, you strive, no quicker than you can, for 61 bpm, etc.
There are times you may want to briefly slow the heck out of something sometimes to reinforce confidence, or muscle memory, or during a bad practice session, but as the exception, not the rule.
Sure, we may start our warmup of it at 50 bpm, but as long as were playing it slower than performance speed, we are striving for faster speed, never compromising accuracy, and even if such performance improvements are themselves slow.
For the record, I am all for playing slowly when it is indicated, either by composer or clarinetist's proficiency. I’m not anti slow, I’m anti wasting time.
And as an auditionee, I'd much rather hear it accurate a couple of clicks slower.
Post Edited (2015-04-02 04:34)
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