You are my Flower

A Carter Family Song

The first time I heard this Carter Family song from a Flatt and Scruggs CD I was listening dribing in my car. It gave me a tickle in my ear.

The timing was so wonky and strange that I just had to learn it. So I broke it up into short phrases and spent the next couple of weeks learning it measure by measure. I played it so many times that I could never forget it.

I love the saying "The fastest way to get fast is to slow down". When learning a new complicated tune, the instinct is to rush it. But when you do this, you don’t allow your neurons to form strong and accurate connections. Practicing slowly builds clean muscle memory, better timing, and relaxed technique, which makes real speed possible later on.  It's a great feeling when you nail a complex peice the first time.  The other great thing about learning this way is the muscle memory is with you forever after that. It's literally like learning to ride a bike.