[Harp-L] When Did Fast Become Good?

[Robert Rowe <robertrowe2@xxxxxxx>]

When did we develop the mindset that playing at breakneck speed was the hallmark of a good player?  So often I'll hear a player rip through a run of 1/128th notes and the audience cheers like it was the second coming of Christ. It doesn't seem to matter that the pitch , timing and intonation was terrible. Fast = good. I caught the bug ala Eddie Van Halen when I learned to shred my electrics. The poor janitor was sweeping notes up off the floor for days when I got done. 



Now, in my old age and wisdom, I appreciate a tune played at a reasonable pace so that you can hear the tone of the instrument, the nuances applied by the artist, the perfect pitch and timing. It reminds me of a quote attributed to Miles Davis; "Learn to play the silence."

Kelly