Try That Again, Slowly

Is there any benefit to playing something more slowly if you don’t have to? Absolutely! Actually, playing a tune at a slower tempo is sometimes more challenging that playing it at your normal speed. But it’s worth the effort and here are some of the benefits.

1. Builds Muscle Memory: Slow practice allows your muscles to memorize the correct movements and positions.
2. Improves Accuracy: Slowing down gives you the time to focus on hitting the correct notes, rhythms, and articulations.
3. Enhances Understanding: Playing at a slower pace enables you to better understand the structure of the music, including phrasing, dynamics, and how different parts of a piece fit together.
4. Reduces Mistakes: Practicing slowly helps you identify and correct mistakes early in the learning process. This prevents the repetition of errors that can be harder to correct later.

5. Develops Patience and Discipline: Slow practice teaches you to be methodical and thoughtful in your practice, which translates to better long-term results.

6. Facilitates Better Tone Production: When you play slowly, you can pay more attention to your tone and sound quality.
7. Increases Musical Expression: Slow practice allows you to explore the emotional and expressive aspects of the music, giving you the opportunity to experiment with dynamics, articulation, and phrasing in a controlled manner.

8. Prepares for Even Faster Tempos: Mastering a piece slowly ensures that when you gradually increase the tempo, you do so with confidence, precision, and control, leading to a cleaner and more polished performance.


As you can see, practicing your dulcimer slowly will offer several significant benefits, which can lead to more effective and efficient learning.

Happy dulcimering,
Linda