Celebrating Small Milestone Wins Over Time

I’ll be real with you – speed gains happen frustratingly slowly. You must celebrate small wins on the journey versus fixating on the destination. Every little BPM tempo increase matters.

Keep an old-fashioned practice journal tracking your tempo metrics over weeks and months. Review it periodically to realize how far you’ve come. Have patience knowing arduous practice now pays dividends for your musicianship long-term.

Other Progress Milestones Beyond Tempo

Tempo markings are simple to measure. Building skills involves less obvious aspects as well.

Pay equal attention to progress markers like:

• Smoother Coordination: Between hands
• Relaxed Posture and Reduced Tension
• Clean Articulation and Sound Quality
• Confident Familiarity: With more scales/keys

Create a Scale Wall of Fame

Here’s a fun idea to celebrate skill milestones that will inspire your ongoing practice.

Track your scale progress on a wall or bulletin board. Use sticky notes or index cards to track tempo improvements. Record good scale performances and note new keys learned. Celebrate your achievements this way.

Seeing these small wins over months will keep you motivated as you continue working hard.

Common Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them

Now that you know how to speed up gradually, let’s address common issues students face. I’ll give you practical advice to help you stay on course.

Problem: You Rush Passages Without Realizing It

Do you have recordings of pieces that sound rushed and uneven compared to how you felt when playing them?

Issue: In the heat of playing, you lose physical awareness when pushing the tempo. Adrenaline tricks you into feeling more controlled than the sloppy sound reflects.

Solution: Record Your Scale Practice

Video or audio record your sessions. The playback will reveal any unconscious rushing. Strive to play scales with metronomic timing and precision.

Problem: You Memorize Mistakes Playing Too Fast

Ever notice yourself repeating the same flubbed notes every time you play a passage? When you practice too fast, your brain and muscle memory remember mistakes.

Solution: Slow Down and Unlearn Errors

Slow down the tempo significantly and relearn passages where mistakes happen automatically. This lets your brain fix mistakes with the right notes and fingerings at slower speeds. Then, regain control and gradually speed up.

Problem: Reading Sheet Music Throws Off Your Scale Tempo

Can you play scales quickly by memory but struggle with sheet music? The cognitive load of sight reading derails your tempo.

Solution: Practice Reading Scale Sheets with Hands Separately

Reinforce the connection between your visual reading and tactile playing. Situate your scale sheet music on a stand to simulate performance conditions. Play one hand at a time from the notation at brisk tempos, reinforcing ties between seeing and doing.

Problem: You Get Bogged Down by Perfectionism

Many motivated students struggle to play scales flawlessly, hindering their tempo progress. Any slight mistake makes you stop and self-critique rather than powering through.

Solution: Strive for Excellence Over Perfection

Absolutely maintain high standards and use errors to fuel your motivation. But don’t become obsessive over every minor imperfection. Keep the momentum up despite small flubs. Stay focused on the big picture of consistent tempo.

Special Considerations for Tempo Consistency While Performing

This guide has mainly focused on mastering steady tempo for scales in your practice. But what about maintaining speed control in front of audiences? Let’s explore tips to play evenly-paced scales during recitals and concerts too.

Thoroughly Practice With a Metronome

This one cannot be overstated. The key to mastering steady tempo is practicing a lot with a metronome at different speeds. This helps your muscles remember the rhythm consistently. Know your capabilities and baseline at each BPM cold.

Set the Tempo and Pace Yourself

Instead of getting nervous and rushing, start by tapping your foot to set the tempo. This helps you play more steadily. Breathe and gather focus. Then channel the tempo feel into the keys. Deliberately pace yourself measure-by-measure. Avoid fixating on the end goal. Stay grounded in each present moment.

Memorize First, Then Add Expression

First, learn the notes and rhythms perfectly when memorizing pieces. This builds a strong foundation. Then, you can add your style and creativity. Otherwise, emotions and fancy playing can distract you if your basics aren’t solid.

Record Yourself Frequently

The best way to catch inconsistent rushing tendencies is to record yourself often. Set up your phone, hit record, and play full run-throughs of pieces. Listen carefully to parts where the tempo changes. Figure out if it’s because of technical problems or rushing mentally. Practice those parts to fix them.

Special Scale Exercises to Reinforce Steady Tempo

Let’s improve your scale skills more with exercises and routines. These will help you keep a steady tempo in different situations.

Scale Pyramids

This exercise includes playing scales with each hand for 2, 4, and 8 measures. Then, repeat the pattern in reverse order. The continuous tempo focus across varying lengths develops solid timing.

Start with C major played between hands in 2 bar phrases. Next do 4 bars per hand. Work upwards to 8 count rounds. Then reverse back down the increments to 2 bars.

Scale Focal Points

Add new tempo reference points as you play scales up and down the keyboard.

For example, in C major, play steadily through the first whole octave up. Pause on C5 to reset. Continue up to the third octave C7 and pause again before descending. The mental focal points keep time steady.

Scale Frisbees

Here’s a great drill for smoothly connecting scales across octaves:

Imagine throwing a frisbee from C4 to C6 with your right hand. Then, catch it with your left hand at C6 and bring it back down evenly to C4.

This imagery facilitates keeping the tempo and sound consistent while transitioning octaves.

Scale Volleys

This drill is like quickly switching scales between hands. It’s similar to bouncing a tennis ball but with frisbees. Start together, then switch hands every two notes. Aim for smooth and rapid transitions.

Start together, then alternate hands every two notes: the right-hand plays C and D of C major, left-hand plays E and F quickly. Both hands volley these fragments up and down the scale. This sharp coordination drill is fantastic for cementing a steady tempo at quicker speeds.