Technical Tip #7: May The Force Be With You!

There is a very common condition many players suffer from that is a sign of improper practice. When they start to play faster, the volume becomes lower and lower, eventually notes are missed, and finally, a speed is reached where the fingers or pick do not even make contact with the string. So of course, no sound is heard.

This comes about because as the speed increases, muscle tension throughout the arm and hand increases as well, and eventually chokes off all control. One of the contributing factors to this condition is the lack of an essential element during practice: enough time spent on "forceful" practice, that is, LOUD playing.

One of the elements that produce the ability to play fast is muscle strength, the other is control. Both of these elements must be developed in our practice. Many students play everything SOFTLY. Ask them to play a scale, and you see this timid little action with the pick, making these timid little notes. You have to put your ear up to the sound hole to hear them! I call it "wimpy picking"!

Realize that part of your practice, usually the beginning of your routine with an exercise or whatever you are working on, should begin SLOW, LOUD, AND FORCEFUL. Keep the force there as you work up the speed. THIS CAN BE DONE IF YOU MAINTAIN RELAXATION BETWEEN THE NOTES AND DO NOT ALLOW THE MAINTENANCE OF MUSCLE TENSION. IF you allow muscle tension to build and accompany your playing, you will literally choke off control.

Over time, you build STRENGTH and CONTROL. One of the hallmarks of a well developed player is the ability to produce fast, LOUD notes. In other words, a developed player keeps the volume (loudness) of the notes even as the speed increases, instead of the notes "withering" away. When you are developed in this way, you have the ability to go the whole dynamic range in your playing, from very loud to very soft, even at fast speeds. Otherwise, you will be limited to only soft playing (which is not intentionally soft, but actually "weak").