Slow it Down & Metronome Method: Work on your Rhythm... Work with a Metronome - Part 2

The first step of using a metronome is pretty simple, but many players forget it. Practicing is done best when done slowly. Start at a tempo that's slower than you think you need to practice... MUCH slower than the targeted tempo. Your goal will be to play the passage of music you're working on accurately at the slow tempo and then click the metronome one notch higher each practice. This is called the Metronome Method.

You'll quickly find the tempo where your error rate goes up in one or more passages... this is the tempo that makes you work hard... reach... focus intensely... this is when you're learning the most.

Isolate and target each difficult passage and work them individually until you can play them perfectly two out of three tries. Once you achieve this, move on to the next tricky part. Once all of the tricky parts are like this, play the entire piece again until you're ready to bring the tempo up another click.

If you're going to play this piece on the bandstand, it's a good idea to practice a number of times faster than the targeted tempo... this will bullet-proof you for performances where other musicians may rush.