TECHNIQUE FOCUS

Building Up Stamina

WHILE IT’S A GREAT idea to approach developing technique with the tried and tested method of slowing down the tempo, increasing speed in small increments over a period of time as coordination becomes more refined and any excess movement is eliminated, it’s worthwhile noting that this is just one of your available options. For some techniques, such as delivering the type of repetitive patterns that we see here, the problem might not necessarily be speed. Stamina and consistency plays a part too, so you might be able to deliver one of these patterns consistently but only keep things up for small number of repetitions, whereas Green could deliver these ideas consistently, spread over an extended period and with one idea after another with little pause in between. To develop this level of endurance and consistency, consider playing each idea at a fast tempo. We’re not aiming to increase the number of beats per minute here, what we’re after is the number of repetitions before fatigue sets in and you begin to make mistakes. You could alternate between half and full speeds but pay attention to make absolutely certain that you are not changing the motion in any way when you slow things down. You could also consider grouping these exercises into a ‘set’, switching between two or three musical ideas, as each will challenge your technique in different ways, and when one motion becomes tiring a new pattern might be your best option.