Technique guide · 15 minutes

Build speed without losing control.

Decide how you want to play the passage, learn it at a manageable tempo, then raise the BPM in small steps while checking that the timing, sound and physical movement remain controlled.

By Matt · GigClick developer and drummer

Start clean+2 BPM

Same technique · faster tempo

What slow practice is for

The goal is not simply to reach the final tempo.

The goal is to play at that tempo with control, precision and the technique you intended to use. Forcing your way through a difficult passage may get you to the end, but it also gives you repeated practice at playing with uneven timing, unwanted tension or inconsistent movement.

At a slower tempo, you have enough time to decide how each note should sound and how you will physically play it. You can notice mistakes, correct the cause and repeat the passage in the same controlled way.

Once that version is consistent, small tempo increases let you find the point where something starts to change. That tells you which tempo and which part of the passage need more work.

Learn the timing, sound and movement you want first. Then keep them as the tempo rises.

Clean before fast

Decide exactly how you want to play the passage.

Choose a short passage that you cannot yet play cleanly at the goal tempo. Before repeating it, decide what correct playing means for that passage.

Define the version you want to practise

01
Choose the sticking, fingering or articulation. Use the technique that you intend to use at the goal tempo.
02
Decide how the passage should sound. Include the note lengths, dynamics, accents and phrasing.
03
Identify the difficult movement. Notice how you prepare for the note or transition that currently causes the problem.
04
Play that version slowly. Do not replace the intended technique with a different movement simply because the tempo is slower.

Choose a useful starting tempo

Slow down until you can play the passage cleanly.

Your starting tempo should let you play the passage with control and precision at least five times in a row, using the technique you chose.

How to find your starting tempo

Start below the tempo where the passage becomes unreliable. Lower the BPM until you can meet all four conditions:

01
You use the intended technique. The sticking, fingering, articulation and movement match the version you chose.
02
You can assess every repetition. You can listen to the timing and sound while noticing tension or unnecessary force.
03
The repetitions are consistent. You do not use a different movement each time you reach the difficult section.
04
You can play it cleanly five times in a row. One successful attempt is not enough.

Eight repetitions at each tempo

Raise the tempo without changing how you play.

Set Tempo trainer to raise the BPM by a small amount after eight repetitions. Continue playing while the tempo rises, and assess whether each repetition remains controlled and precise.

Example setup+2 BPM every 8 bars

80Establish
82Repeat
84Preserve
86Test

This example uses a one-bar passage. Eight bars allow eight repetitions before the tempo rises by 2 BPM.

Set up Tempo trainer

Set the starting tempo to the BPM where you completed five clean repetitions. Set the increase to 2 BPM.

Set the number of bars so that you can repeat the entire passage eight times before each increase. A one-bar passage needs eight bars. A two-bar passage needs sixteen bars. Changing the BPM automatically lets you continue playing without interrupting the exercise.

The question at every step

Are my timing, sound and physical movements still precise and controlled? If they are, continue. If any of them change, stop at that tempo.

Quality sets the maximum

Stop when the higher tempo changes how you play.

Stop at the first tempo where the timing, sound or physical movement becomes imprecise or difficult to control. That is the current limit of the version you are practising.

What to do when control starts to break down

01
Stop at the first unwanted change. Do not continue raising the tempo after you notice uneven timing, altered technique, added tension or a loss of control.
02
Return to the last clean tempo. Repeat the passage eight times there before trying the higher tempo again.
03
Work on the smallest problem section. Fix the bar or transition that changes instead of repeatedly running the whole passage into the same problem.
04
Record the repeatable speed. Note the fastest BPM where you completed the repetitions with control and precision, not the highest number you reached once.

Technique first

A 15-minute practice block

Spend enough time deciding and learning the correct version before raising the tempo. Use the ramp to check whether you can keep playing that version as the available time becomes shorter.

5 minPlay it cleanlySlow enough for five clean repetitions
7 minRun the rampEight repetitions per tempo; increase by 2 BPM
3 minRepeat and recordReturn to the last controlled tempo and note today’s repeatable speed

Tempo trainer in GigClick

Raise the tempo without interrupting the exercise.

Choose the starting tempo, the BPM increase and enough bars for eight repetitions. GigClick changes the tempo automatically while you concentrate on the timing, sound and physical movement of the passage.