🎻 Does speed matter?

Hi Reader!

This question came up in my inbox this week around how important speed actually is. In my Tune Library videos, I start every tutorial playing the tune "up to speed" and then breaking it down into phrases before playing the whole tune at a slow, then medium pace.

But one of my members (rightly) questioned this speed -- how much of a benchmark is it to say you've learned a tune?

When I play a tune "up to speed", I'm not aiming to crank out every reel at 105bpm (beats-per-minute). I remember recording the tunes for my most recent album, and having fun discovering which tunes sat most comfortably and really came to life. Sometimes it was 103bpm, others it was 108.

But someone else may play a reel at 90bpm and it's absolutely captivating because they've locked in the rhythm and the phrasing. Someone else may play it at 120bpm and it's an exhilarating whirlwind where they're in complete control of their tone quality.

I do think that speed matters. At some point it becomes absolutely impossible to create any kind of groove or feeling in the tune if it's too slow or inconsistent.

But if you're at a session and called on to start a set of tunes, and you happen to play a tune a bit slower than the host would if they started it, then I think that's okay! It's the host's job to match you and play at your speed because you're leading that particular set.

My up-to-speed benchmark in the Tune Library is perhaps me saying "this is typically how fast I would play this tune if I were to start it in a session or a gig." It's there as a guide if your goal is to match players in a faster session (and I am by no means the fastest player out there and fully okay with that).

But the end goal isn't speed. Speed is a good skill to have for flexibility and adapting to the people who you're playing with. But ultimately, the end goal is lilt.

The telltale groove, the captivating rhythm and phrasing that makes people lean in, tap their toes and nod their heads.

Speed is a part of that, sure. But it's not the only part, and when the tune starts to sound sloppy that's when I know it's time to pull back, slow it down and let both you and the tune breathe.

Weekly Tune Library Update

You're getting a new set dance tutorial, The Job of Journeywork, this week! It'll be under Hornpipes and goes really nicely after Rodney's Glory -- we've been playing these two set dances together in our local sessions as of late, and you can get a sneak preview of how the set goes over on my Instagram page!

I'll start looking at some bonus tutorial videos this week (possibly around ornamentation tips per tune type), and keep an eye out for any new tune requests you may have!

Motor City Irish Fest is next weekend!

My partner Bear and I are playing our first Motor City Irish Fest on Sunday June 14th @2:30pm on the Dunlevy stage! We're in the process of rebranding our duo name to Sionainn Laoi (Shannon Lee).

If you're wondering the story behind the name, since neither of us are Shannon or Lee, look to two Irish rivers!

Both Bear and I got our Masters Degree in Ireland at different times. Bear studied at University of Limerick (River Shannon), and I studied at University College of Cork (River Lee).

So to fully answer the speed question: yes, speed matters. But the extent to which it matters can vary depending on your situation.

If you want to play with people who like to play faster than you, then work on the skills to build control and keep your rhythm while increasing the speed. If you play with a group of people where your speeds match well, then don't worry so much about incorporating speed into your practice.

Speed is one of those practicing pistons Liz Knowles talked about in her most recent interview on my podcast, Find Your Lilt. If it's working well on autopilot, then that frees you up to look at other areas you want to improve.

I would say speed is currently on autopilot for me, but when I have a recording project it comes back to the forefront -- making sure my speed stays consistent and that I'm used to playing along to a click track.

As Liz also said, it's a cycle! We're always coming back to polish areas of our playing and revisit what we thought we had mastered.

Happy practicing! And it's okay to play the tune slow!

~Hannah