Adam Bergeron

Preparation makes a world of difference in any field. Focusing on a task for a finite period of time develops familiarity and confidence. Beyond that, repetition is paramount to successful execution of any task, creating self-awareness to foster both proficiency and creativity. If you prepare correctly and often, you can accomplish most tasks.

This article features Slayer’s guitarist Kerry King discussing how he plays such fast, demanding riffs on his instrument. He explains that he practices his music at a slower tempo, slowly increasing the speed by small increments as he gets familiar with the music. By his own admission he also uses repetition of musical chords ideas in his compositions, utilizing a lot of the same chords across his decades as a songwriter.

In my younger years, I hated using a metronome, citing that it made my practicing technically mechanical and artistically sterile. I admit to having changed my mind after working as a studio musician for several decades, and I now swear by using a metronome in various ways while learning and polishing my concert or creative repertoires.

As a piano and composition teacher, I often have my students of all ages practice with their own metronomes, professing the values of listening and coordination promoted by using a metronome. I almost always see a positive difference in a student’s performance after only one month of use.

Find the right tools, and use those tools wisely. Practice well and often.

Guitar World

“If you want to bench press 200lbs, you start at 80… You should concentrate on performing with articulation at whatever speed it is”: Kerry King on how to master thrash metal speed riffing