Playing the saxophone Slow music is much harder to play than fast music

[jbtsax]

There you go. I've kicked the ant hill with this title. Anyone else agree, or disagree with that statement. I'll be back to play "devil's advocate" once the ball gets rolling.

 

[trimmy]

Don't know which is harder because I struggle with both slow/fast, but maybe more control is needed with slow music.

 

[dooce]

Agree.

 

[Chris]

Totally agree JB, there's hiding place every note is out there to be listened to.
Mind you if you can't hear it slow then you'll never hear it fast, so playing slow
is so important. Plus everyone loves a Ballad..

Chris...

 

[BigMartin]

I know what you're saying but I can think of some exceptions. It's the mathematician in me, I'm very resistant to universal statements

 

[jimmylh]

I agree and disagree. Both are hard for me. Slow takes a lot of control to play beautifully. Fast is hard because my fingers can't keep up.

 

[Chilli]

I agree it usually is. There's no way of hiding your flaws when playing slow, it's all about tone, breath control, intonation... Much more technical IMO.
I also find it's way harder to keep time and to play together in a band. I dread playing Lil' Darlin at that crazy 69 bpm tempo with the big band.

 

[Jeanette]

Slow with longer notes is definitely hard to play, keeping a good tone, time and breath control especially if playing with others really becomes important. Fast has it's problems but if you can keep the rhythm the odd wrong noe in an orchestra seems less noticeable.

Jx

 

[fibracell]

the slower it is the harder it gets to keep the time and musicality.

But playing really fast is very hard and often not necessary and not musical.

 

[jazzdoh]

Agree,you are more exposed in a slow tune and as chilli says its all about the tone.

 

[Targa]

I prefer playing slow, putting in the control and expression (and it gives me time to remember the next note).
Playing fast it just starts to sound like a jumble of notes and my old fingers can't keep up.

I know what you're saying but I can think of some exceptions. It's the mathematician in me, I'm very resistant to universal statements

1+1=2, in my universe anyway.

 

[BigMartin]

1+1=2, in my universe anyway

You need to get out more.

 

[Targa]

You need to get out more.

As soon as I can find a wormhole I will.

 

[MandyH]

I agree! Although practice with a metronome can help!
Somehow quaver , semi quavers, triplets etc seem strangely slow of you are playing a slow piece.
And working out phrase lengths in order to breathe in the right place takes some preparation too.

 

[Clivey]

Most of the answers above are pretty bang on for me but I find it`s not always that cut and dry either. It can be quite easy just to noodle slowly unaccompanied especially if using delay FX etc. Many folks rightly associate playing slowly with playing ballads and that`s not always straight forwards slow playing either with accurately timed fast playing often required to meld sections seamlessly.

Re Ballad playing and Recording this process. Most of the Folks on this Forum don`t need any lessons regarding how difficult this can be. especially when you factor in improvised choruses and ornamentation. It`s actually a bit of a miracle process when it goes well when you consider how much can go wrong with Tone,Tuning, Timing ,Expression , Dynamics , Finger Goofs etc etc etc and that`s not even beginning to consider pretty subjective stuff like just not liking the take. I`m also pretty well sure that we`ve all had the perfect take in the can ( means something different stateside lol ) Just to muck up the last 3 bars or whatever .

 

[Ivan]

I agree

IOTM and recording what I play is telling me the same thing

 

[jbtsax]

Some great comments and observations already in this thread. For me, playing at a slow tempo is like putting everything---tone, intonation, phrasing, articulation, timing, under a magnifying glass. A very common problem with rhythmic accuracy is to rush certain rhythmic figures. When tempos are slowed, it stretches the amount of time in between the beats. This also increases the amount of time in which notes can be played too early ahead of the beat which gives the sensation of "rushing".

 

[Colin the Bear]

I find playing slow very demanding. For one I loose focus. I have problems connecting a piece together. Breathing becomes more technically demanding. Very easy to realise half way through a phrase you're not going to make it and should have breathed even though you didn't feel you needed to. I find the temptation to play extra notes is hard to resist. I end up coming in late and finishing early. I seem to remember getting into trouble at work for the same thing.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Generally, slow is harder as it usually needs more control. In the classical world, slow often has much more complex rhythms too. I was sight-reading Brahms symphony #2 at orchestra last Thursday (on cello). First movement was not too bad. However, the 2nd movement is an adagio and that was rhythmically very challenging as tempo is about crotchet = 50. Here's an example

 

[sharkfin]

Generally, slow is harder as it usually needs more control. In the classical world, slow often has much more complex rhythms too. I was sight-reading Brahms symphony #2 at orchestra last Thursday (on cello). First movement was not too bad. However, the 2nd movement is an adagio and that was rhythmically very challenging as tempo is about crotchet = 50. Here's an example

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Do you know, I had the same problem the other day playing Dream by the Beverley Bros. (Sorry, I've got a rotten cold and can't even play at the moment, so feeling fed up, just ignore me). If I knew how to do an emoticon it would be down in the mouth, anybody got one of those?