The reason for slow practice, and by slow I mean really slow, a little more than a note per second, can be understood with the following analogy:
The reason we practice slow, is the same reason a steam-roller moves slowly. Practicing pieces at tempo, or just undertempo when there are still technical obstacles to overcome results in a performance that will have trouble spots and gaps and missed notes. Similarly, if the steam-roller was attempting to smooth assfault at 30 mph, the road would be finished, but would have bumps and dips that would result in a very rough ride at highway speeds. The steam roller is moving too quickly to allow its weight to smooth out the bumps. I like this analogy since students often become skeptical about the merits of prolonged slow practice and have trouble keeping the tempo slow. Often this very issue is what either hinders or elevates a performer to higher levels of playing.
Tags: classical guitar, method, practicing, slow practice
