Theory
Day three, and today is rehearsal. Loop the two bars from start to finish without stopping. Even if you slip, don't stop — move to the next beat; that's today's rule.
The heart of rehearsal is flow. Before accuracy comes the unbroken repeat. Even if your hand hesitates, the groove has to keep rolling. Not one perfect take, but ten non-stop takes complete the song.
The riskiest spot is the Dm9 → G13 seam. If your hand is late here, the flow breaks. Firm up this spot first and the run-through gets comfortable. When the seam is smooth, the two bars loop endlessly.
▶ Lock the G13 hand shape into your eye once more before the run-through — so you're not late at the seam.
See it
The non-stop full run-through. Loop the two bars, and even if you slip, flow to the next beat. This is where the body of the song is completed.
▶ BPM 72, swing 16. Loop the two bars without stopping. Even if you slip, don't stop the hand — go to the next beat.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up At BPM 60, sweep through the two bars once slowly. Wake yesterday's change and fill back into your hand.
10–20 min · Brain training (firming the seam) Isolate just the seam and repeat Dm9 → G13 many times. Prepare your fingers ahead so they're not late.
20–40 min · Real full run-through (BPM 72) Loop the two bars without stopping. Like the settle loop below, lay back on Dm9 at the end and rest one breath. Loop ten times without a stop and you've reached today's goal.
▶ BPM 72, swing 16. Bar 1 run-through → bar 2 lay back on Dm9, then rest. Carve the non-stop flow into your body.
40–50 min · Recording / self-feedback (recommended) Record and listen back. Mark where you stopped and where the seam wobbled.
Done when: You can run the two bars start to finish in a full run-through without stopping, at BPM 72, swing 16.
Just the mistakes that show up most in rehearsal.
▶ Take just the Dm9 → G13 seam, half a beat each, big. Make this spot comfortable.
- You stop when you slip. Rehearsal has one rule — don't stop. Wrong or not, go to the next beat.
- You're late at the seam. Prepare the G13 shape early so you don't miss the beat at the change.
- You keep speeding up. When the groove lifts you, you rush. Hold the beat with your foot or a metronome.
- You obsess over perfect. Today, flow comes first. Save the polishing for tomorrow's recording.