Technique: ‘Speedrunning’

SamSuggs

How to use a competitive video gaming approach to plan out your practice, maximise your technical efficiency and play consistently accurately on stage

The first time I saw someone ‘speedrunning’ to complete Super Mario on the Nintendo in four minutes instead of four weeks, I remember thinking, ‘Wow’. It was like watching an Olympics of video games and it gave me the same sense of aspiration that I get when I see someone give a virtuoso performance on the bass: it was something that I could kind of do, but at the same time it was out of reach.

In video games, speedrunning is all about completing a game in the shortest time, by performing in a very targeted way. I use the same ideas to help my students do their best in music. That doesn’t mean I want them to get a Flight of the Bumblebee speed record – to paraphrase Bartók, races are for horses, not artists! I just want them to optimise their performance, by maximising their knowledge of the music and their instrument…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.