Don't Practice Like This

I love the movie Groundhog Day. You know, the one where Bill Murray finds himself reliving the same day over and over.

Great stuff.

But all that repetition is not a good model for practicing…

I’m not saying you shouldn’t repeat yourself in the shed – just don’t work on the same exact thing in the same exact way day after day.

You gotta switch it up.

Add some variation.

This could be as subtle as changing the tempo by ten clicks or as drastic as transposing up a tritone.

Get creative!

I started practicing this way after reading an interesting experiment in an excellent book on learning called Make it Stick.

The experiment went like this:

Two groups practiced throwing beanbags in a bucket.

Group A practiced with a bucket that was 3 feet away.

Group B practiced with two buckets – one was 2 feet away and the other was 4 feet away.

Later, both groups were tested on a bucket that was 3 feet away.

Group B far outperformed Group A.

So, keep this study in mind the next time you’re in the shed.

Come up with ways to add variation to whatever it is you’re working on. You’ll be using your time more productively, and your shedding will be much more interesting and engaging.

If you want even more guidance on how to optimize your practice time, be sure to check out my course, Perfect Practice, and be sure to use coupon code: PERFECT20 to save 20% through Friday!

https://go.jeffschneidermusic.com/perfect-practice

- Jeff