In my last blog we had a discussion about learning and how the brain makes it all happen. Iit’s good to know this stuff because it has implications for how we practice. If we can do it smarter it'll not only be easier but we'll get better results.

Much of our practice is simply repeating a particular set of movements, in the process engaging nerves and muscles in a specific order. Initially these movements take some conscious effort but once the neural conections are established they are more or less automatic, they’ve been learned.

What’s the best way to make this happen? The evidence tells us that for some time after a repeated series of new movements these nerve/muscle pathways continue to fire up, they will even continue during sleep.

So we’d expect that 3 hours of practice spread out regularly over a week would be more effective than one 3 hour block once a week. Regular practice lets you slowly build these pathways while large intervals between practice sessions simply give us time to forget what we did previously. Not only does the research support this idea but I can tell you from my own experience as a player and teacher over many years that it is absolutely the case.

It also has implications for what and how we practice.

• Squeeze in a little bit of technique practice every day, even if it’s only 5 minutes.
• When you have a longer session start it with a warm up routine. If you’re just beginning and don’t have one yet then just practice whatever you did the previous day, kick those pathways back into gear first thing.
• If you are working on a new technique do that now while you’re warmed up but still fresh.
• Have a piece, or at least a riff that you’re working on. Ideally it will put some of the technical stuff to work for you. Remember that all of the same rules apply. You don’t have to learn it all in one day, give yourself time for it to sink in.
• Use everything that you’ve learned and just have a play. Improvise, explore, make mistakes, listen with intent.
• Warm down with your warm up routine or a simple technical exercise.

As much as I hate three word slogans (won’t go into that now), they must work. So here’s mine.

Regular Relaxed Repetition

• Practice regularly, we’ve covered that.

• Stay relaxed, if you associate your new movements with muscle tension elsewhere then you’ll learn that too.

• Repetition is the only way that the nerve/muscle relationships can be established and memorised.

This stuff works, the hardest part is trusting it so have a go and prove it for yourself. Of course having the right exercises and a little guided instruction helps and we all know where to get that from.

Patrick Curley

www.learncigarboxguitar.com