Lessons from the world’s greatest teachers and schools...

When was the last time you played a scale really slowly? Say, a two-octave Major scale across all six strings? Every day? Once a week? Once in a while? Never? The reason I ask is we’re often so busy trying to push our abilities to the edges of what we can do, that we neglect the confirmational aspect of playing. In short, can we do what we do, really well and with comfort? Playing is physical and many top players that Neville and I have interviewed over the years have often talked about engaging with the instrument each day with meditative and slow playing. Scales, chord shapes,fretting-hand independence and stretching, evenness of tone with fingerpicking or alternate picking. Aiming for round, full notes and looking out for excessive stress in the hands and body. It is only through slow, contemplative playing that good foundations are formed, to provide consistency for all that we play. If you’ve not zoned into slow, analytical warm-ups and playing I’d heartily recommend it; you may well find the hiccups that thwart aspects of your technique, show up in technicolour detail. A perfect exposure to overcoming that which hinders your playing now, once corrected, will free you up for the future. That’s intelligent technique engagement.