This is something that everyone has heard before but what does it actually mean?
We go into our practice space and look through what we need to work on and say to ourselves: “Okay, I need to work on this section because its just not quite right yet”
We set to work and even after putting in some considerable time it is still not showing results. The frustration of feeling stuck can be destructive which then can lead us to feelings of self doubt, imposter syndrome and the felling of wanting to just give up and move on.
We tell ourselves that we are practicing slowly, but are we? Practicing slowly is not always necessarily about speed but about how much information we are taking in at once
Take things down to its lowest common denominator.
Look for the connective parts of the section, a shift to another position or perhaps a string crossing. Focus on that element alone and when you have become completely satisfied with the results add 1 note that precedes it. Slowly adding more and more material until you are now playing the whole measure the way you intend to.
