They Ought to Have a Name for It – The Speed Limit

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Pgibson

This is closely related to JIT Failure, mentioned last time in this thread, but only happens when you are learning a new song and, naturally, are playing it a good deal slower than full speed. What seems like a perfectly reasonable sequence to perform with your right hand picking fingers at a slow speed soon becomes an impossibility as you increase speed. Usually, what appeared as a slow pair of sequential thumb picks speeds up to reveal a much more demanding sequence. You have to go back and relearn that part using a different picking finger for one of those notes.

About Pgibson

I'm from Huntsville, Alabama where I work as a Software Engineer and part-time banjo instructor. My wife Miiko and I worship at Rivertree Downtown. I've been playing various instruments since my teen years. I started mandolin and dulcimer at about age 17 and banjo at 20. I love just about all kinds of music. In terms of banjo styles, I play and teach Scruggs, melodic, clawhammer, and 2-finger styles. I'm also very keen on theology, being a Trail Care Partner with the Land Trust of North Alabama, photography, urban planning, architecture, astronomy, ATM (amateur telescope making), birding, martial arts, and about 30 other distracting hobbies to a (mercifully) lesser extent.
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