Performance Tip: Rushing with Fast Licks

Fast licks can be challenging to learn due to the number of notes packed into a small amount of time. Difficulty is heightened with awkward breathing patterns or the addition of challenging techniques, such as bending or note treatments (dip, cut, gliss, slap, flutter, or octave for example). Students will struggle to fit all the notes of a passage in time, and in their struggle, they often unknowingly play the lick too fast to get to what's next in the music. Knowing that this is a common issue, when in the process of recording yourself for self-assessment, make sure to listen to these fast passages carefully to check if you're accelerating out of time.