Classical Guitar Instruction with Douglas Niedt

Tips on Playing Romance, Romance, de Amor, Romanza

Douglas Niedt, guitarist

"Douglas who?"

Douglas Niedt is a successful concert and recording artist and highly respected master classical guitar teacher with 50 years of teaching experience. He is Associate Professor of Music (retired), at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Fellow of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management—Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Doug studied with such diverse masters as Andrés Segovia, Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Narciso Yepes, Oscar Ghiglia, and Jorge Morel. Therefore, Doug provides solutions for you from a variety of perspectives and schools of thought.

He gives accurate, reliable advice that has been tested in performance on the concert stage that will work for you at home.

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Tips on Playing Romance, Romance, de Amor, Romanza


By Douglas Niedt

Copyright Douglas Niedt. All Rights Reserved.
This article may be reprinted, but please be considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.


PRACTICE ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA WITH THE RIGHT HAND ALONE

Practicing with the right hand alone will help you:

  1. Improve your right-hand position and your tone quality
  2. Correct the balance between the melody and accompaniment (the "a" finger plays the melody so the other fingers must play more quietly)
  3. Improve the rhythmic evenness of the arpeggio
  4. Help you learn to damp bass strings
  5. Help you learn the basic arpeggio pattern and stay on track playing three beats per measure
  6. Learn to play the melody with rest stroke on the "a" finger if you so desire to expand the dynamic range, improve the tone, and make the melody more prominent.
We can make improvements in our right-hand classical guitar technique faster and far more efficiently if we practice the right hand alone. Here are five reasons why:
  1. If you focus your eyes only on the right hand instead of looking back and forth between the hands, you will be able to focus 100% on the right hand so you can diagnose and fix problems twice as fast.
  2. If we practice both hands together, the left hand will get fatigued if we need to spend extra time to correct right-hand problems. If the left hand must hold bar chords or difficult positions and configurations, the level of fatigue will increase very quickly. We can practice the right-hand much longer by itself.
  3. Tension from the left hand often transfers to the right hand, making it more difficult to isolate and correct the problems we are having with the right hand.
  4. We can correct incorrect or imprecise rhythms by teaching the correct rhythms to the right hand alone. Difficult left-hand stretches or shifts may prevent the right hand from playing the correct rhythms. Left-hand difficulties can also hinder you from diagnosing the real problems.
  5. The reason you can't play a passage up to tempo may be due to a problem with the right hand rather than the left. Isolating the right hand might provide insights and solutions to help you play faster.

HOW TO FIGURE OUT WHICH STRINGS TO PLUCK

To practice the classical guitar with the right hand alone, the first thing we need to do is figure out which strings we are supposed to pluck. If you have never tried to play a classical guitar piece with the right hand alone, you may find this is difficult to do. But it is fairly easy on a piece that uses a consistent right-hand fingering, such as an arpeggio. Let's look at the first sixteen measures of the famous anonymous Romance, or Romanza, or Romance de Amor. Example #1:

Romanza, Romance, Romance de Amor measures 1-16, original notation and tab

Standard Notation

If you look at the standard notation, you see the symbols for the right-hand fingering ("a," "m," "i," and "p.") The circled numbers are the string numbers. We have a pattern that repeats over and over:

  1. Play the 1st string, then the 2nd string, and then the 3rd string.
  2. The "a" finger always plucks the 1st string, the "m" finger always plucks the 2nd string, and the "i" finger always plucks the 3rd string.
  3. The thumb ("p") plucks a bass string simultaneously as the "a" finger plucks the first string on the 1st beat of each measure.
Romanza, Romance, Romance de Amor measures 1-4, open strings extracted from standard notation

Tablature

It is even easier to figure out which strings to pluck if you focus on the tab. Ignore the fret numbers. Focus on the six horizontal lines that tell you which string to pluck. Example #3:

Romanza, Romance, Romance de Amor measures 1-4, standard notation and tablature

Therefore, using the tablature, we can rewrite the music on open strings. Example #4:

Romanza, Romance, Romance de Amor measures 1-4, open strings extracted from tablature

On a repetitive piece like Romance, you may not need to rewrite the music. You may be able to look at the standard notation or tab, convert the notes to open strings in your head, and immediately practice the music on the open strings.


IMPROVE YOUR RIGHT-HAND POSITION TO GET A BETTER TONE ON ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA

When playing Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza a common problem is that the right hand may tilt to the right. To correct it, we can observe the top of the hand. The top of the hand should be parallel with the top of the guitar.

Classical guitar right-hand position, the top of the hand parallel with the top of the guitar

Or, we can observe the position of the "a" finger on the first string. If you lean your head to the right (not your body, just your head), you can peak through at the "a" finger. It should stand perpendicularly to the string or lean slightly to the left:

Classical guitar right-hand position, the anular finger should stand perpendicularly to the string

For a thorough discussion of the classical guitar right-hand position, see my technique tip, How to Find a Good Right-Hand Position for Classical Guitar.

In Romance, it would be very difficult to correct the position of the right hand while also playing the left hand. We would have to constantly take our eyes off the right hand to watch the shifts and bar chord placement of the left hand.

But if we play the right hand alone, we can give our total focus and concentration to the wrist position or the position of the "a" finger as it plucks the first string.

Watch me demonstrate.

★ You can turn on closed captioning ("CC" at bottom right) if you find it is hard to understand my speech.

★ BE SURE TO WATCH ON FULL SCREEN. Click on the icon at the bottom on the far right:



PRACTICE THE SHIFT IN ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA WITH THE LEFT HAND ALONE

Sometimes, too many things are happening at once to master a problematic shift by practicing both hands together. However, practicing with the left hand alone can provide focus so you can understand the precise movements the fingers, wrist, and arm must make to execute the shift cleanly. I use this difficult shift from the famous anonymous Romance (Romanza, Romance de Amor) in many of my technique tips. Example #106:

Romance (Anonymous), measures 19-21

As I noted in the musical example above, one of the secrets to playing the shift successfully is to change the full bar at the 2nd fret to a hinge bar as it slides up the neck to provide support, eliminate squeaks, and serve as a guide finger. The other secret is to place only the 3rd (or 4th) finger on the 1st-string C# at the 9th fret. Wait to add the 2nd finger to the 3rd string.

When trying to learn this shift, we do not want to be distracted by the right hand or buzzes in our bars. Therefore, learn the technique by practicing with the left hand alone first. Example #107:

Romance (Anonymous), measures 19-21, practice chord change left hand alone

Once the left hand understands the motions, practice slowly with both hands together. But use the "S-L-O-W Practice" and the Stop-Then-Go" practice tools first.

This technique is not only for the Romance. You can use a hinge bar as a guide finger on bar chord shifts in many pieces for stability and to eliminate extraneous string noise.

Watch me demonstrate how to master this type of shift.

★ BE SURE TO WATCH ON FULL SCREEN. Click on the icon at the bottom on the right:

Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza, m19-21, Practice Left Hand Alone to Use a Hinge Bar as a Guide Finger



PLAY THE MELODY OF ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA WITH REST STROKE

Use rest stroke to bring out the melody of the arpeggio. In this case, the "a" finger always plays the melody. If we play all the melody notes with the "a" finger, the melody will stand out beautifully.

Romance, Romanza Part A

However, playing the 1st string with rest stroke damps whatever note was ringing on the 2nd string. But for many players, the advantage of a fuller, warmer tone on the melody notes and wider dynamic range surpasses any advantage of having the 2nd string ringing.

But if having the 2nd string always ringing is important to you, stick with free stroke.

Or, you can combine both rest stroke and free stroke, especially when making crescendos and decrescendos. For example, you can begin a phrase quietly, playing the melody with free stroke. As you make a crescendo, switch over to playing the melody with rest stroke (which is louder) to continue the crescendo to its climax. Then, as you reduce the volume for the decrescendo, revert to free stroke.


How to Master the Difficult Left-Hand Shifts in Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza

We are constantly faced with difficult chord changes and shifts. When you shift or jump to a chord and you mess it up, it is usually the fault of one finger on the left hand. Most of the time, the 4th finger is the one that misses. The second most frequent culprit is the 3rd finger.

Find a change with which you have difficulty. Play it several times and keep score of which finger misses its destination the most. Pay close attention; it is almost always one finger that causes the shift to fail.

You have to choose the correct finger on which to focus. For example, many times a player will look at the destination fret where a bar lands. Usually, the bar doesn't cause one to miss a change. Most of the time it is one of the other fingers that misses its landing point. That is the finger whose destination point needs to be focused on, not the bar. So be sure you focus on the right finger.

Focus on the Landing Point

To ensure that the wayward finger lands accurately (thus producing a perfect chord change), all you have to do is focus your eyes on its landing spot on the string.

Important:

When I say "landing spot," I am not talking about looking at the destination fret in general. I am talking about looking at a point on the string—a point about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. You must focus your eyes on the spot with laser-like precision.

You will rarely miss the shift as long as two conditions are met:

Condition #1:

You must focus on the landing point before you shift. You can't wait to look where you are supposed to land at the last split second. You must have a few milliseconds of lead time.

Condition #2:

The finger must be reasonably prepared or positioned to make the shift. For example, if you must land the finger on the 6th string, the finger must be hovering above the bass strings, not the trebles. The finger must be no more than an inch above the string—the closer the better. The tip joint must be bent so the tip of the finger is pointing down at the strings, not pointing across the fretboard or even worse, upwards.

The Human Body Is an Amazing Thing

This technique tip uses a basic ability we all have: hand-eye coordination. The human body is an amazing thing. If you focus intensely at your landing point and have the finger reasonably prepared, you simply won't miss. Your neural-muscular system will make it happen. Of course, since we are human, we can do all kinds of mental things to screw everything up. We can get tense, our minds can wander, and we can let self-doubt confuse the muscles. But if we allow our neural-muscular system to work as it was designed, and keep our negative thoughts out of it, it will work flawlessly.

Some Examples of the Technique in Action

Here is an excellent example from Romanza or Romance de Amor, or Romanza.


shifting on the classical guitar, Romanza


Video clip #3 will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. This video shows how the element of finger preparation is crucial to making this technique work.



USE BARS AS GUIDE FINGERS

In the well-known Romanza or Romance de Amor or Romance, is a difficult shift toward the end of the E major section:



Example #18

Most guitarists simply "jump off the cliff" hoping their 4th finger lands securely enough on the first string 9th fret to hold that C# clearly while stretching to reach down to place the 1st and 2nd fingers at the 5th and 6th frets. Often they miss the C# altogether. Or they "lose" the C# as they stretch down to try to reach the other two notes. Or, they succeed in playing a clear 1st-string C# and keep it ringing, only to buzz one or both of the other two notes.

What works really well is to use the half-bar at the 9th fret as a guide finger:



Example #19

Keeping the half-bar at the 9th fret down tightly on the strings, slide it to the 5th fret as your 4th finger lands on the 9th fret C#. However, do NOT look at the bar or the 5th fret. Keep your eyes focused on the 9th fret. Train the bar to find its own way to the 5th fret. Also, the bar and 4th finger must reach their destinations simultaneously. Don't add the 2nd finger to the 3rd- string C# at the 6th fret until you have to pluck it. Do NOT try to place it on the 1st beat.

Here is a good exercise to practice first before trying the actual arpeggio:



Example #20

I know the second chord is ugly. But this is the actual chord change you must make at the moment of the shift in the song. Remember, the 2nd finger is added later to the 3rd-string C#.

USE A HINGE BAR AS A GUIDE FINGER

Full bars are seldom used as guide fingers. Moving a bar up or down the neck with either full or reduced pressure creates a lot of friction or drag. Freedom of movement is impaired. There are also major problems with bass string squeaks. Let the hinge bar come to your rescue. Let's look at a difficult chord change in the famous anonymous Romanza (also known as Romance or Romance de Amor) at the beginning of the E major section.:





In this example, it isn't a good idea to slide the full bar from the second fret to the seventh fret. The correct way to make the change in Romanza is to turn the full bar into a hinge bar at the moment of the shift, slide up, and then resume with a flat, full bar at the seventh fret. In other words, at the moment of the shift, lift only the tip of the bar finger off the bass strings. Keep holding the first string with the inner part of the bar finger. You now have a hinge bar. Slide this hinge bar along the edge of the fretboard to the seventh fret. As you reach the seventh fret, place the tip of the bar finger back onto the bass strings. You now have a full bar again. During the slide up the neck, the inner part of the bar finger should not lift off the first string. Maintain constant and secure contact with the edge of the neck. Using the hinge bar as a guide finger allows total mobility, creates very little drag, promotes speed of movement, and is very stable.

Watch me demonstrate.

How to Use a Hinge Bar as a Guide Finger in Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza

If the video will not play, Click here



The technique is relatively simple. Watch me demonstrate the basics and how to practice it.

The Technique and Execution of Using a Hinge Bar as a Guide Finger in Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza

If the video will not play, Click here




MORE ON HOW TO PRACTICE THE DIFFICULT SPOTS IN ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA: Be Able to Start Anywhere in the Piece

In Romance, Romance de Amor, Romanza we have a difficult chord change from measure #20-21. Example #3:

Romance or Romance de Amor or Romanza, measures 17-22

Even though the problematic chord change is the transition from measure #20-21, I have observed guitarists attempting to master the change by starting to practice at measure #17. Example #4:

Romance or Romance de Amor or Romanza, disadvantages of starting at measure 17

There are three big problems with starting at measure #17.

  1. Measures #17 and #18 have no connection with the difficult chord change. Playing these measures over and over is a total waste of valuable practice time.
  2. There is another problematic chord change from measure #18-19, which will distract one's attention and tire the hand.
  3. If we start at measure #17, we must hold a challenging bar in measure #19 and most of #20. If we try to do numerous repetitions, our left hand will fatigue very quickly. Overpractice could lead to injury.

Other guitarists start at measure #19. Example #5:

Romance or Romance de Amor or Romanza, disadvantages of starting at measure 19

Starting at measure #19 is a little better since the guitarist is not repeating measures #17 and #18, which are unrelated to the difficult change they need to practice. But holding the bar chord in measures #19 and #20 will severely tax the hand.

And many guitarists begin at measure #20. Example #6:

Romance or Romance de Amor or Romanza, disadvantages of starting at measure 20

Starting here is even better since the guitarist is narrowing their focus. But they still must hold the bar chord for two extra beats before the actual chord change occurs. Once again, numerous repetitions will quickly tire the hand.

The best place to start is on the 3rd beat of measure #20. Example #7:

Romance or Romance de Amor or Romanza, the best place to start practicing

Now, the guitarist only has to hold the bar chord at the 2nd fret in measure #20 for one beat. The hand will still tire with numerous repetitions, but not as quickly. And, the guitarist's focus will be entirely on the chord change. They are not practicing extra notes or chords that have no relevance to the problem they are attempting to master.



HOW TO EXECUTE STRING DAMPING IN ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, ROMANZA

In the anonymous Romance or Romanza or Romance D’Amour, etc., we have these two passages requiring string damps.



Romance damps part 1


And here:



Romance damps part 2


Note that you have three options of when to do the damp in both examples. The choice is dependent on the tempo you choose to play the passage and your skill at coordinating the damping movement with playing the other notes.

Watch me demonstrate the choices for measures #5-8:


If you don't see a video, refresh your browser.

Be sure to watch the video on full screen. Click the symbol to the right of "HD" in the lower right-hand corner after the video begins playing. Hit escape "ESC" on your keyboard to return to normal viewing.

The back of the thumb string damp method

Method #2 Use the back of the thumb to damp string X at the same time you pluck string Y. If your thumb is the right size, this method is vastly superior, easier, and more natural to execute than other methods.

This is the method I use almost exclusively when going from a lower string to a higher string. Use the back of the thumb to damp the lower string as you pluck the higher string. The great advantage of this method is that the lower bass string is damped at the same time the higher bass string is plucked. There is no overlap of the two notes. When done correctly, it is perfectly clean and perfectly legato.

However, most teachers don’t like this method because it requires a small change in the position of the right hand and thumb. The amount of the change of position will vary from player to player. It is easiest for those of us with relatively wide (fat!) thumbs and hardest for those with slim thumbs.

In Romanza aka Romance aka Romance de Amor with other techniques, we had three options of when to do the string damps. The choice was dependent on the tempo you chose to play the passage and your skill at coordinating the damping movement with playing the other notes. And, no matter which option you chose, there was still over-ring of the offensive bass notes.

You don’t have to worry about any of that with the back-of-the-thumb damping technique.

Here is an example:



Romance damping with back of thumb


And, also in the passage:



Romance damping with back of thumb


The back-of-the-thumb technique of string damping is straightforward with no over-ring of the offensive bass notes.

For more information on string damping, see String Damping Part 1 and String Damping Part 2.



USE THE "PLAY-FAST-NOW" METHOD TO PLAY ROMANCE, ROMANCE DE AMOR, or ROMANZA UP TO TEMPO

If you have not read Part 1, do that before proceeding.

As I mentioned in Part 1, when we practice something slowly, we might be using motor movements that are not viable at our final tempo goal. Therefore, we are creating habits that are functional at the slow tempo but dysfunctional or ineffective at the final fast tempo. We must then unlearn the slow-practice habits and redevelop habits that work at the fast tempo.

Keep in mind that the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy will not work for everything, and it might work at some stages of learning a piece but not at others. And as I pointed out in Part 1, it is mandatory to practice some things slowly to analyze your finger movements, sort things out, or replace a bad habit. The slow practice must consist of conscious and methodical repetition.

But, when we use the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy, we are not gradually working a passage or piece up to tempo. Instead, we are playing it at the final target tempo but working it up to smoothness, consistency, and accuracy.


Chaining vs. Speed Bursts

But how do we practice at a final fast tempo goal and maintain accuracy? After all, we do not want to practice mistakes. The answer is to use a practice technique called chaining.

I wrote about a form of chaining called "reflex practice" or "speed bursts" in my technique tip How to Use Reflex Bursts to Learn a Fast Scale. The strategy is highly effective on fast scales.

A significant difference between speed-burst chaining and "Play-Fast-Now"-chaining is in the use of a metronome. With speed bursts, we do not use a metronome. We usually play as fast as possible. In the "Play-Fast-Now" technique, we always use a metronome set precisely to our fast, final goal tempo.


Do I Have to Use the %*&^@! Metronome?

Yes, you must. We humans are horrible at keeping accurate time. When trying to learn complex music at a specific high speed, it is critical to the neuromuscular process that the tempo be unwavering. Your friend, the metronome, will keep you honest. No, it will not turn you into a robot. Once you can play the piece or passage at your target tempo, you have ownership and control over it. You have given yourself the tools to do whatever you want with the music. When you turn off the metronome, you can speed up or slow down at will. And for better or worse, the human variants of our inner pulse cannot be "trained out." They will always be a part of who we are. Practicing with the metronome for 40 hours a week will not affect that at all.

Always Warm Up First

Always do a warm-up before using the "Play-Fast-Now" practice strategy. I recommend 15-30 minutes of low-impact exercises such as scales, finger independence exercises (for both hands), and light stretching exercises. If you do not warm up, the muscles will tense or lock up when you attempt to play fast. Tense muscles cannot play fast or accurately, and you are wasting your time and risking injury.

Caveats

  1. For the "Play-Fast-Now" practice strategy to work successfully, the player must have a certain level of technique, finger dexterity, and finger independence. But the good news is that any shortcomings will immediately be apparent. Then, the player can remedy the problems with slow practice and later return to the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy.
  2. The piece must be in the ballpark of the player's ability. For example, it is unlikely that a student who has learned a few Sor or Carulli studies will have the technical ability to play Leyenda at tempo.
  3. The target tempo you choose may not be possible for you to attain due to genetic factors. You might need to reduce the target tempo.
  4. You will not play the entire piece immediately up to tempo. You will learn it section by section. Some parts you will be able to play at tempo instantly or in a day or two. The problematic "choke-points" may take a few weeks.
  5. The way in which you use the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy will depend on the piece or passage you are learning. Learning Romance, or Romance de Amor, or Romanza at its final tempo will differ from learning La Catedral (Agustín Barrios) or an easy Carulli study.

Chaining

Forward/Reverse-Chaining and Micro/Macro-Chaining

Here is a difficult chord change from Romance or Romanza or Romance de Amor. Example #1:

Romance measures 17-22

We are going to focus on this chord change. Example #2:

Romance measures 20-21

Watch as I demonstrate the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy to play this change up to tempo in relatively little time using forward and reverse micro-chaining.

Make it spectacular! Watch in high-def.
1. Click the start button twice to start video.
2. Stop the video.
3. Click the gear icon and select the highest quality your device can handle.
4. Click fullscreen and play.

Video #1. Play-Fast-Now. Romance (Anonymous)

Reverse-Engineer the Problems

When you use the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy, a passage will be playable in a reasonably short time. But it may not be perfect. There will be many things you will need to refine. You will need to "reverse-engineer" some of the difficulties. Here is how to do it.

Do not get stuck on one way of practicing. Make your chain shorter or change from a forward chain to a reverse chain. Or start in the middle of the passage (center chaining) and work outwards on both ends. Constantly analyze what is going right and what is going wrong. Do not repeat a chain mindlessly, hoping it will succeed. If it does not succeed, stop and figure out why.

It may be time to slow down!

Remember, there are stages of learning a piece. Sometimes, you must slow down for your neuromuscular system to grasp what is supposed to happen. Sometimes the fingers must be told they are to do this, then that, and then this. Conscious thought is brought back into play so that the hands are made aware of every detail.

Decrease the metronome speed by a few notches. Now, you have more space to think a little and to make adjustments. You can clean things up. You can make the correct adjustments because you have already played the passage at the goal tempo. You know what the technical demands will be at the target tempo. Even though you are playing the passage a little slower, you are doing so from the target tempo's perspective. The habits you refine will work at the target tempo.

So, practice at the target speed, and once the passage is playable, back off just a few notches and clean it up with some slower practice.

Read on for a systematic approach to this strategy.

Still Sloppy or Insecure?

What happens if you still are not happy with how you are playing the passage after a couple of days of using the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy? Do not give up! The good news is that you are establishing the correct motor patterns needed to play the passage at its target tempo.

To improve the passage, slow the metronome down until you find a tempo at which you can play the passage successfully. For example, your target tempo is 110.

  1. Instead of 110, try the passage at 105. No good? Try 100. Still a little ragged? Try 95. Ah, success. Write down 95 in your music.
  2. The next day (or a few days later), start again at your 110 target tempo. It still is not perfect. Decrease the speed to 105. Hmm, it is still ragged. Decrease the setting to 100. Ah, this time, the passage sounds good at 100 instead of 95. That is progress. Write down 100 in your music.
  3. Follow this procedure every day. Begin at your target tempo of 110. Decrease the tempo until the passage sounds and feels good. You will decrease the tempo less and less until one day you discover you can play the passage well at your target tempo.
  4. I am using increments of five as an example. Often, smaller increments work better.
  5. Sometimes, you can successfully use this procedure in a single practice session instead of over several days.

In the old-school method, we start slowly and work up the tempo notch by notch. We hit a barrier where the motor functions that work at a slow speed do not work at high speed. In the "Play-Fast-Now" method, we start with our target speed using motor functions that are appropriate at high speed. Then, if needed, we can work backward to clean up and refine those movements. But in each practice session, we always begin at the target speed. We set our neuromuscular system at the target speed, and at the slower practice speeds, our brain refines our motor movements from that perspective.

Summary of how to use the "Play-Fast-Now" method to play Romance, or Romance de Amor, or Romanza at tempo.

If you have been frustrated with slow practice and want to try a different strategy to get past a speed barrier or plateau, try the "Play-Fast-Now" method.

Remember, the practice strategies you use on a piece will change over the period it takes to learn a new piece. Sometimes the "Play-Fast-Now" strategy is appropriate, but at other times, it is not. You must experiment.

This strategy is very gratifying and fun because you can play a piece or passage at the target tempo in a relatively short time. You will chain together a fast and challenging passage and play it nearly flawlessly at your goal tempo. In amazement, you will say to yourself, "Oh my gosh! Did I do that?"