Some of us are born with natural abilities to play certain instruments. For example, some people are born with perfect pitch, others with perfect rhythm, whilst some have perfect balance. Some people are born with a perfect pitch for playing the keyboard. However, a lot of us have to work at it. First, we have to practice. Period. Secondly, we have to start from the beginning, at least in terms of understanding how music works. The music we hear on the radio isn’t necessarily a good example of how music is meant to be played. Therefore, before we even start to learn how to play an instrument, we have to read music.
Tips for Increasing Speed in Playing Instruments
Increasing your playing speed is the first thing that anybody does after he or she learns to play an instrument. If you are a beginner, it isn’t easy to realize that you are not able to play the instrument fast enough. That is why you should have some good tips for increasing your playing speed, in order to play that instrument better. Here are some tips that would be perfect for you to remember, to help increase your speed when playing:
- Choose an instrument that you want to learn.
Choose the instruments that you want to play. There are so many options available to you, so now you need to decide whether you want to tackle a percussion, woodwind, string, or brass instrument. Remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one instrument, but to start with, it is best to just focus on one to avoid confusing yourself.
- Master the instrument
You should master how you play the instrument that you choose. It would be easy for you to increase your speed playing if you master it. This is where the practicing element comes in. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will get with the instrument. Therefore, it makes sense that you will, over time, get better and be able to play at a faster pace.
- Set your Own goal of Speed
You should set a goal of speed for every practice lesson that you have so that you can monitor the improvements in your speed. It is important to start off slow, and not put too much pressure on yourself if you are struggling to reach your goal by the end of the lesson. Learning an instrument should be fun, so take your time and set yourself realistic goals each time you play.
- Speed playing alone vs. playing with others.
You might not always be able to tell how fast you play until you are in the company of others. Therefore, if you spend your time checking your speed when playing alone compared to when you’re playing with someone, this might help speed up the learning process for you.
- Play for fun.
Don’t stress yourself too much when you are practicing your speed when playing. You should at least make your practice a fun one so that you can practice well. Take regular breaks if you find yourself getting frustrated about something and come back to it when you have a clearer head.
How to Strengthen your Fingers to Increase Playing
There are various factors that determine how fast you can play. However, no matter how good you are, you can’t play at your full capacity if your hands are too weak. When it comes to playing an instrument, the fingers are the most important tool. They are responsible for the correct note placement, producing the right tone, and sustaining it as you play. In fact, the fingers are the only tool that you can have exact control over. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a break from your playing to allow the fingers to rest. If you can’t wait for your playing to improve on its own, you can use some exercises to strengthen your fingers. To find the best way to improve your hand and finger strength, you should consider the following:
Squeezing your hand.
You can use a tennis ball, or a medicine ball that is inflatable, to squeeze. The ball provides a decent amount of pressure for the working of your fingers.
Bending and folding
It can help to strengthen your hands and fingers by bending your hands while your palm is facing away from you. Bending and folding your hands helps your fingers to become strengthened and helps you develop independence.
Pens rolls
When doing this exercise, you need a pen to help you. The first thing you need to do is put the pen on your knuckles and fold your fingers over the pen. By using the four fingers, pull the pen up into the crease line of your hand. This hand and finger exercise will help your blood flow to the fingers and prevent injury.
Tapping and pushing
In this exercise, you need to hold your hand in the praying position. You should keep your palms together, then try to move away from your fingers with another and tap two times. You should continue this exercise as tap, tap, push, push and continue it for 10 minutes for the best result.
Conclusion
Playing an instrument can be a great way to have fun, meet new people, and express yourself. However, playing an instrument can be more challenging than you may realize. Playing an instrument takes time because you must find the right tempo, rhythm, and note combinations to create a piece that is musically interesting.