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Speed Excersises

ntvito 19 July 2012

I'm trying to get my chops up and I'm looking for some exercise to do to build up speed on the vibraphone. I would appreciate any tips or things that you guys do/have done to work on this. Thanks for any help!

-Nathaniel

Comments

ntvito Thu, 07/19/2012 - 21:16

I especially am wanting to work on lines that require our hands to pass over each other, does that make sense?

David Friedman Fri, 07/20/2012 - 01:25

There are several things you can do; you can transcribe, or buy transcriptions of Bird or Coltrane solos(Charlie Parker Omnibook, Trane's solo on "Giant steps", Chick's solo on "Matrix", etc.) Practice them like crazy till you get them up to the original speed.
The other method, which I personally use with my students, is the following; Take a sheet of staff paper and write an exercise using only eight notes. You mentioned crossing hands, so include this in your personal etude. The notes themselves are relatively unimportant. You can even create it visually, away from the instrument. It doesn't have to be a composition. It just has to move over the whole instrument. The more you play it the more musical sense it will make. Start practicing slowly and bring it up to the tempo you want. Then record it and post it. I'll listen to it.

ntvito Sun, 07/22/2012 - 00:36

Thank you! I'm going to try the excersise you use with your students and I'll post it when I have it up to tempo.

Babu Fri, 07/20/2012 - 05:06

Besides all theses good advices, I would add something : It can be interesting to work specifically on the speed between two notes. You have two ways to do that 1°) increase the metronome speed, or 2°) reduce the interval between two notes with the same metronome speed : take an arpeggio, for instance - C E G - play in quarter notes, up and down, then play twice each note but in 8th notes (CC EE GG), then play 3 times each note but in triad rythm, etc...
When reaching 16th or 32th notes with the same metronome speed, increase this metronome speed, etc... The speed between 2 notes will increase greatly and the coordination between both hands too.
Very useful when you have a problem to play fast and clear some notes inside a line. Play thoses notes as an exercise using this mean and in short time you'll get them nice.
My two cents

David Friedman Sat, 07/21/2012 - 19:20

Hi Babu,

The thing about practicing two notes until you get them up to "speed", is that what you accomplish, in my opinion, is the ability to play two notes fast. Playing over the entire instrument with speed and agility presents a slightly different challenge. It's like playing scales fast. If you practice playing scales fast, then you're able to play fast scales. It requires different movement to play over the entire instrument, moving in different directions and playing varying intervals.That's why I recommend writing an etude which utilizes the entire range of the instrument.

Babu Sat, 07/21/2012 - 22:19

Hi David,
Sure, I agree 100% with you. My point wasn't to contradict you or other's point of vue, but to offer a mean to resolve a local problem when arising.
When teaching guitar I noticed that we all(some less, or very less !) have coordination problems between the two hands, one playing a little bit faster than the other, and that's one of the reasons why playing fast is a problem.
I learned the method I suggest from a great guitar virtuoso friend of mine (kind of guy technically VERY gifted. At first try playing a piece 2X faster than anybody...). With this kind of exercise, when you come to the 16th, you play CCCCDDDD, etc..., which gives you time to think about next note and to concentrate about the technical movement you have to do in order to play this next note ; that makes your both hands work tightly together too(I don't know if I'm clear... I'm reaching my english limits). And at each step the time to achieve this movement is shorter.
That helped me a lot to solve specific problems in situations you need quick answers (afternoon rehersal, concert at night the same day and you have a problem with one of the fast lines you have to play...)
But, evidently that's addressing just a little part of what velocity is about. Thinking fast about a lot of notes, intervals, crossover movements, harmony etc... is the main part, for sure, and requires substancial kind of work as you suggest.
Let's say I have a little tool in my stickbag in case of...

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