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I was wondering if there were any exercises to practice jumps and speed-playing. I quit taking lessons a long time ago and halted music theory.

In essence, I'm the guy who can read notes and play intermediate pieces, but when it comes to advanced and difficult pieces I lack the proper skill (most ideal hand placement, chords, arpeggios).

I highly recommend that you get back to basics: do scales, chords and arpeggios. Depending on what your skills are right now, you may need to start with doing just one octave for these, and then when that's easy in all keys, do two octaves, and so on.

You also will want to do some technical exercises like Hanon. Just pay very close attention to how it feels. If you ever feel fatigue or pain, that means you're doing it wrong and need to slow it down and work out the extra tension.

Lastly, choose your repertoire wisely. Don't jump into the Pathetique sonata first movement if you're only able to play Clementi Op 36 No 1. Want to work on jumps? Find something at your current level that focuses on that - etudes would be best.

Speed comes from knowing what you're playing really well, without unnecessary tension. Working with a metronome can help, but if you aren't able to play something around the tempo indicated it could mean there's a technical issue that needs working out. Unfortunately, unless you know about technique, you will not be able to address that without a teacher.

Take a look at Celebration Series - Perspectives published by Frederick Harris. I don't know your level, but their etudes pieces and repertoire are very good at a working progressively.

Thanks for your brilliantly detailed response! Here is a sample piece of what I'm playing right now (not me btw). That's about as fast as I can play without messing up or losing my rhythm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uW6hUnn5Jc


There are a few jumps in there, but not too hard. I mess up quite often--about twice in the song if I'm lucky (and they're rather glaring mistakes).