The Fastest Way to Play Better is to Slow Down
You’re practicing too fast. And it is slowing you down.
I get it, it is fun to play fast–and sometimes we have to play fast to play the songs that move us.
But when we learn a new guitar part or pass a new threshold of skill, there is so much going on at once: finger pressure, pick angle, strumming pattern, tone, tempo, chord shapes, the next note coming. That’s already a lot—and then you add theory, following a melody in your head, playing with others, maybe even moving around the stage.
It’s like being asked to run off a cliff in the dark onto a narrow staircase in a high wind while carrying several puppies. If you haven’t practiced, you’re probably going to find your life flashing before your eyes as you fall into oblivion. And to paraphrase Alan Watts, it will do no good to hang on to the puppy, because the puppy is falling with you.
It’s no fun to smash into unpleasant destinations—whether you’re falling off a cliff or learning guitar. That’s why it’s essential to give yourself room to find your way. And there’s a really amazing—and sometimes counterintuitive—way to do that:
Slow it down.
Teenage Heavy Metal Guitarist Syndrome
I feel bad when I see a beginner making the same mistake over and over at a high tempo. I wonder—what’s the rush? Are they in a race to play Madison Square Garden?
I call this “teenage heavy metal guitarist syndrome”–the compulsion to fix mistakes by repeating them as quickly as possible, and I’ve fallen prey to it more times than I care to admit.
Instead of sounding bad at high speed, why not have more fun and progress faster while sounding good?
Here’s a step-by-step method for learning a guitar part (or practicing for a graduation video—hint hint):
In fact, I’ve been using this for years, and we incorporate it into many of our classes at NYC Guitar School, and yet it still blows my mind how quickly I can learn something when I break it down and slow it down. Maybe the most important part of learning guitar is learning how to learn guitar.
The 100% Guaranteed Take It One Step At A Time Slow It Down Learning Method (TM)
Step 1: Identify what you want to play and chunk it into one phrase, one measure, or one change. Then listen. Really listen. Try to sing it. Try to hear it in your head. You’re making a place in your brain for your new skills to go.
Step 2: Slow it down—a lot. That gear icon on YouTube is one of the greatest inventions for musicians. I wish I had it in the ’80s when slowing down meant dropping the needle again and again—and changing the pitch. (I use Spotify with a speed extension for the same thing now.)
At slower speeds, you start to hear everything—tone, pick scratches, slides, other instruments. It’s like Doctor Who’s TARDIS—it’s bigger on the inside.
Step 3: Try to play it by ear. If you get it completely wrong, that’s fine. You’re still building the mental map. And remember—we’re not in a rush. We’re going slowly on purpose.
Step 4: Now it’s time to woodshed. Look at the chart or tab. Set your speed to 50%. Sing it, then play it.
Use the rule of three: play it perfectly three times in a row before moving on. If you mess up, start over.
You’ll also get insights here. If it’s hard at half tempo, something’s missing—maybe a chord, a fingering, or a picking pattern. Fix that in isolation, then come back.
Step 5: Gradually increase the speed—5% or 10% at a time—until you reach tempo.
Now you’re cooking. Why stop at 100%? Go to 110%. It’s like practicing with a little extra challenge so that normal feels easier.
As tempo increases, you may need to adjust technique—alternate picking instead of down-picking, or more efficient fingering. That’s part of the process.
That’s it. Break it down, then build it up.
Repeat, In Guitar And In Life
Can you do this with improvisation? Heck yes. Hear a few notes in your head, find them slowly, then build speed.
In a recent masterclass at New York City Guitar School, Grammy winner Mark Whitfield pointed out that many people who want to play jazz standards can’t even sing the melody. His advice: learn the melody. Then play it slowly so you can’t miss.
And here’s the crazy thing: if you have the patience to learn slowly, you end up learning more deeply—and faster.
This is not a new idea.
The Romans used the phrase “Festina Lente” which means “make haste slowly.” The Tao Te Ching says “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” But why pay attention to ancients like Marcus Aurelius or Laozi when we can hear it from progressive metal guitar legend John Petrucci. He said:
“If you can’t play it slow, you can’t play it fast.”
Mic drop!
In sports (and apparently special forces), there’s a saying: “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”
Even after thinking about this for decades, I still struggle with it. As a musician, a language learner, even in business—I go too fast and mess up all the time. And don’t get me started on getting injured in sports.
That’s why I love fitness guru Dan John’s idea: “never miss a lift.” And football coach Nick Saban’s: “Don’t practice until you can get it right—practice until you can’t get it wrong.”
It circles right back to guitarists Andrés Segovia saying, “The student must first learn to play slowly before attempting speed,” and Steve Vai saying, “Slow practice puts your hands and mind together.”
Simon & Garfunkel were right: “Slow down, you move too fast.”
What’s the rush?
Instead of jumping off a cliff today, let’s take it one step at a time. The view’s better, the journey’s more fun—and we’re way more likely to get where we’re going in one piece.
Tonight, take one song and play it at 50%. And see how fast you go!
On To Greatness!
Dan Emery
Learn Guitar in NYC
Try a 1-on-1 private lesson—in-person at any of our NYC locations or live-online from anywhere in the world!
