I want you to try this.
It sounds weird. You’ll look like a fool. But just try it.
Go outside cross your arms in front of you and run as fast as you can.
I just did this before writing this post… My neighbors looked at me like I was an idiot XD
Here’s the thing… no matter how fast of a runner you are, no matter how strong your legs are, no matter how much you “practice” running like that…
You’ll never be able to run fast with your arms crossed in front of you.
You’ll never get up to full speed unless you swing your arms the proper way.
Are You Doing This EVERY Time You Practice Piano?
Now let me ask you something. I want you to really think about this question.
Are you running with your arms crossed every time you practice piano?
Do you ever repeat something over and over and over, and you just can’t seem to get it up to full speed?
You can play it fine slow, but once you try to pick up the tempo it all falls apart.
Guess what. At this point, the solution is no longer “practice more.”
The reason you can’t get it up to speed is because you’re probably using the incorrect form.
Without the correct form, you could practice till the cows come home but you’re likely just drilling in incorrect form and bad habits.
Habits that might be hard to break in the future.
An Experiment to Help You Learn Piano
Take a C Major Scale, and tighten your wrist up. Try to play the scale without moving your wrists.
This is the equivalent of running with your arms crossed.
When you have a fast run in a song, you have to be practicing with the right form. Or you’ll just be spinning your wheels.
Every technique (arpeggios, octaves, scales, ext.) has a different form that allows you to ramp it up to full speed.
What’s the form for each one? Well, each technique has a different form.
I have a bunch of them detailed out in the free Piano Superhuman Course, so feel free to sign up for that!
Oh… and if you want to see one right away, check out the lesson on the “Over Under Technique” on the website.
Try it out, you’ll see what I mean!
Happy practicing,
-Zach “lookin like a fool” Evans