Breaking the Speed Barrier: 3 Strategies for Playing Faster

By Anne Sullivan 

Sometimes the impossible...isn’t.

In 1954 when Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, he didn’t just break all the records. He demolished an idea that had long been held to be a truth: the idea that human beings were incapable of running a mile in under four minutes. 

It turns out that it wasn’t impossible. All that was needed was belief and a plan.

If you have trouble getting your fingers to play fast enough, try out one of the three plans below. These aren’t instant cures for slow pieces or fingers, but plans that will work over time. 

Each plan is a 5-day strategy. Follow the 5 days, then repeat. On the second or third time through each plan, you will be able to increase your baseline tempo. 

Be careful, though: being able to play very fast is a skill that develops gradually. Don’t force your hands or your fingers. Follow the plans below and let the results come in their own time. A little patience will keep your hands and fingers healthy and strong and injury-free.

5-day Speed Up a Skill Plan. Use this with scales, arpeggios or any exercise.

• Day 1: Practice the skill at a fairly slow tempo to check for correct form.
• Day 2: At a medium speed.
• Day 3: Just a little bit faster. Stay relaxed and play a little softer if that helps.
• Day 4: Even a little faster.Only play the skill three times at this speed; then you’re done.
• Day 5: Back to a fairly slow speed, playing calmly and correctly. 

5-day Speed Up a Passage Plan. Use this with any problem spot.

• Day 1: Find a base tempo where you can play the spot correctly.
• Day 2: Play the passage 5 times: base tempo, faster, faster, faster, slower (but not quite back to base tempo).
• Day 3: Play the passage 5 times: Fast (try the third tempo from Day 2) , a little slower, a little slower, a little faster, base tempo.
• Day 4: Play the passage five times at a medium speed.
• Day 5: Play the passage once at the medium speed then three times fast. 

5-day Speed Up a Piece. Be brave and ignore the mistakes as you speed up.

• Day 1: Play the whole piece at a comfortable steady speed. Decide on your “next level” tempo. This should be about 15-20% faster than your comfortable tempo. Also identify a halfway tempo, midway between the two
• Day 2: Practice each section of the piece at comfortable, halfway and next level speeds.  
• Day 3: Divide the piece in half and practice each half at all three speeds. 
• Day 4: Practice any tricky spots at your fastest tempo then your halfway tempo.  
• Day 5: Play through the whole piece at your halfway tempo.