Aside from the music itself, notation is key to getting others to enjoy your music. To do so a songwriter and/or composer must make the notation as clear as possible. If a performer can’t red or decipher your intentions then there is little hope they’ll get through the entire piece and even less hope of them spreading the good word. Also if you want your creation to be played correctly it’s best if your intentions are make sense.
In addition to standard articulations such as Marcato and Staccatissmo the …

I once got asked “How can I start playing like Jimmy Page?” As specific as this question is I was able to broadened the subject to make it more relateable: “How can I play lightning fast?”.
The simple solution: practice.
The expanded solution:

Even my professors who compose primarily electronic music agree that a resurgence in instrumental music is on its way. As interest increasingly returns to traditional instruments, performers and composers alike have begun hunting for new methods of sound production. These “extended techniques” are of varying use, some being so esoteric and difficult to execute that I usually just write them off as impractical. The ones I tend to use more frequently are those that require minimal preparation (even if they require a bit of practice) and produce …