When I was at the RAM (studying singing) in the 1960s, my piano teacher came out with what seemed a strange statement. He said "The ear hears things faster than the hand plays them".

I was a very argumentative young lady, so I said "that's not possible, surely you mean the ear *seems* to hear things faster than the hand plays them? N, he was adamant, and repeated it again slowly, and showed me what he meant. I was rushing some short semiquaver passages, probably little turns or other ornaments, so as to fit them in the time allowed. The result was that they were smudgy. He showed me how I could put my brain into slow motion for a moment and play the pattern quite clearly and neatly, and it would still come out in time. It felt slower, but it sounded just as quick.

I've been thnking a lot about this recently, and in addition to Fred (you'll have to search for that one, it'll take too long to explain now) Mr Palmer is also turning up in my piano lessons with increasing frequency, to good effect.

Is there aa better way of expressing what he was saying, that would make sense to my child pupils? I do tend just to go into Mr Pal;emer voice, which was slow and lugubrious.

I do sometimes say when kids are rushing through a passage with no real regard for the beat, that they're confusing velocity with vitality. Inevitably they reply "wha' ?" so they learn two new words as well as some musicianship!

This sounds really interesting, particularly as I have several pupils smudging their way, mostly unevenly, through the upbeat semi quavers of 'Military minuet' (grade 2, I will never let another choose this piece, it's very difficult I think for grade 2). I have tried lots of thngs to help - how were you shown to 'put your brain into slow motion' ??!! It sounds useful!!

Military Minuet was the very latest piece in which I used this strategy!

The strategy being??!!

Put your mind into slow motion, think it slower to get all the notes in, and they'll still come out in time. I don't quite know why it works, but just deciding that the ear will hear faster than the hand plays - or feels like it plays - prevents unnecessary hurrying and "gabbling"

I know exactly what you mean, and it works for me, but I can't find a better way of describing it.

This rang a bell so I hunted my bookmarks and found this from Pianostreet - look for the topic zoom zoom and the posts by Bernhard. The comment at the end, "Finally remember that speed is really an illusion. If you can make each note sound clearly, the ear of the listener gets overloaded with information and this is perceived as speed, even though you may be playing at quite a slow tempo. So pay attention to the details and the speed will take care of itself."

One conductor I knew described it as allowing some space in the music.

It is difficult to describe, but when you do it, or hear someone else do it, it's unmistakable.

Ok thanks, I will try it and see if something clicks!

Yes. I spent some time this morning with a pupil who has started to rush the Gavotta from the Suite de la R?joussance, Grade 2. I told her that articulation and phrasing can often give the impression that a piece is played at a good lively speed when it is actually slower than it sounds. I also talked about spacing out the notes. I cannot tell you how many times I say to some of mine "Take your time!!" It also helps to tell them that if they rush the piece the listener finds it is over before they have had a chance to enjoy it.

I sent the child off with instructions to practise the piece hands separately and in slow motion, lifting the fingers like the legs of a spider. I also told her that hands separate practice like this was not a regression. It was nothing to do with unlearnt notes but to do with control and and technique. She asked if she should only practise like this or hands together as well and I said no hands together until next lesson. I hope it will work. She is a very consicentious child who always tries fo follow my instructions.

I'm still pondering over ths one. I tried to do it earlier and then realised I wasn't 100% sure of what I was triying - when you put your mind into slow motion and think the phrase (or whatever) do you think without playing or at the same time as playing...? Or maybe both?! Sorry if I'm being thick but so many people have replied saying this strategy works for them that I feel something important has passed me by!

OK, I just went to the piano and tried it. Here is a poor attempt at trying to describe it in words. This is almost certainly NOT how it works for other people, as everyone's head is unique.

Say I am playing a scale - four octaves - so CDEFGABC... - at crotchet = 110, in semiquavers

I try not to think of each semiquaver but of each beat. I try not t hear C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C, but CdefGabc. For me, it is thinking of each group as a unit rather than each note separately.

Perhaps another way of thinking about it is like when you are reading out loud in your head and hearing each word, or reading without reading out loud in your head and just seeing each word? The latter allows me to read very much faster than the former.

This is just like when a footballer or tennis player appears to "magic" the ball into staying still while they decide where it's going to go next. Making time work for you.