How many times have you heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect”?
Probably more than a few. What if I told you that was false… well, it isn’t completely false. Practice makes PERMANENT. Only PERFECT practice makes PERFECT. When we repeat behaviors, the mesmerizing adaptive computer that is our brain rewires little connections which allow us to consistently repeat actions without thought.
Have you ever seen someone that rips through a speedy scale run or effortlessly navigates an impossibly hard level or boss in a video game? Well, it’s likely because they have spent hours practicing and honing their skill to do it without thought. Many will find it difficult to TELL you how to do it but can easily SHOW you.
Why will lessons help?
Now, anyone can pick up a guitar, take to YouTube or Ultimate Guitar and find the tab for that killer song they want to learn. They practice day and night to nail that song but get stuck.
Two possible reasons for this are:
- They don’t possess the skills or techniques to play a particular passage or riff.
- Practicing poor technique has encoded that technique in their brain. Just like any bad habit or learned movement, it must be broken to maximize potential.
I’ll start with #2.
Adapting to poor movement patterns is just like one who practices a poorly executed golf swing. Sure, you can grab your sticks and knock it around every chance you get. You will improve to an extent. Any technical flaws in the swing will solidify muscle memory and fortify liabilities that become more and more difficult to correct.
However, with an educated eye guiding and nurturing good technique in the early stages of adaptation, the initial improvement and ultimate potential for success become exponentially greater. Notice I said “adaptation” and not “learning.” In my experience the two are nearly synonymous in this context. Our wondrous brains adapt to stimulus such as asking your hands to strum and pick notes. As we learn, our brains adapt and retain motor patterns. Skills are perishable though and require care and nourishment to flourish, which is why we reinforce them through practice.
A good instructor will cultivate teaching movement and practice routines in a positive way specifically for the student. We all learn differently and all have strengths and weaknesses to navigate. The purpose of lessons are to maximize the student’s potential by nudging them towards good technique. This sets them on a course to cement appropriate neural pathways from the beginning. When those adaptations occur early, we don’t have to break and relearn poor technique, maximizing the fulfillment of potential along a MUCH shorter timeline.
Now, let’s circle back to #1.
It is not exaggeration to say all the information you need to unlock every skill in the book is online. It is also true to say that for every good bit of info online, there are tenfold bits of bits without the “IT” if you know what I mean.
Your teacher should be able to help you wade through the BS and guide you to resources and exercises/drills that encourage your own personal exploration on your journey.
With a solid set of goals, and an experienced eye a good instructor can construct a curriculum to build the proper direct and indirect skills to maximize fun and success.
A great example is when I was learning to sing. I had mentors along the way who’s constructive criticism and memory of their own mistakes was invaluable in accelerating my understanding of finding my own voice.
How do I get started?
The first step is as simple as contacting an instructor and assessing if they are a good fit. If you want to save some time, reach out to me on our contact page or read some of the other articles on this site and we will get your questions answered.