Dr. Aaron Lington's best speed-building trick: alternate long and short notes through a run, then reverse it, before ever playing it straight. Holding one note long while rushing the rest at full speed gives your brain just enough time to catch up, and running the pattern both directions means every transition eventually gets practiced at full speed.
Real memorization comes from listening and playing a piece back without ever writing a note down — writing it down mid-process is what stops it from sticking. Aaron records himself playing from the sheet music, then relearns the whole piece by listening to that recording and playing along, the same way jazz musicians transcribe a solo entirely by ear.
If you ever feel confused about where your fingers go next, you're playing too fast — full stop. One of Aaron's teachers had a simple rule: at the right practice tempo there's zero hesitation about the next note, and the moment you feel unsure, you've outrun your own hands.
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About this class
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