Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this video are personal to Jazz Duets. They are not for everyone.

Hi, thanks for tuning in to Jazz Duets. I hope you're well, wherever you are. Today, I would like to share what I think are the basics of what you need to know to be able to practice music successfully if you are a regular non-genius like myself.


So here is a visual illustration of a fast practice session. Everything is fast, go from A to B as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence. Practice the material question as quickly as possible. Get the job done. Play the notes. Speed learning doesn't matter too much how it sounds as long as it is played quickly. Now let's have a look at an illustrated slower practice session. Here, as you can see, we have more time. We perceive more. That is, of course, if we allow ourselves to and are focused in the present moment. Perhaps we experience more detail and even enjoy the ride - not so anxious to arrive.


The musical equivalent of this could be taking the time to focus on the pitch, the notes, the rhythm and even the dynamics, perhaps. And then here is an illustration of a slow, deep practice, no hurry whatsoever. We are really taking the time now to luxuriate in the present moment. We see, experience things, we were not aware of before. Gosh, look! It's the Casa de Che Guevara. I never saw that before when I was going so fast and in such a hurry to arrive at the destination.

So this dear listener is surely how we need to approach practicing music, I believe. At some stage in our practice routine, it is advisable to incorporate this slow-motion practice. However, you may not be convinced. I practiced years and years, fast, trying to catch up, if you like, with better players. It did not work. It was superficial. That for me is the proof. You see, we are not all made equal. In fact, we all learn at different speeds.


So my advice is to practice at the pace that you are comfortable at. Once you have learned and internalized at a slower speed, fluency will be easy. It will be natural, you will be able to play fast, naturally. But if you are pushing and forcing, it will be like anything in life.


It will lead to friction and frustration. And most certainly: musical constipation. Just like when we learn a new language, at the beginning, we have to look at each word slowly, then gradually, bit by bit, we can start to put these words together and then string them together without even thinking. Please share with us your own personal experiences of learning in the comments below. Thanks for watching.