Ten times in a row!

Animisha · 2024-08-22T07:33:15+00:00

Molly Gebrian says that if you want to fix a mistake in a passage, and you practise it playing both correctly and incorrectly, you reinforce both the good an...

JB_PT

PianoMonk Practice Police - funny stuff, maybe there are, they just haven't visited us yet.

If they ever make it to my house, I'm pretty sure I'll be locked up for life...no chance of parole. That's why I love this new book so much - I need it. Some of what she says is new to me, some of it is not. But having it all in one place is helpful to me.

Pallas our loved ones get bored of listening to us slice and dice and moan and quibble

They sure do...I think non-musicians have a very different idea of what practicing an instrument is like until they get stuck in a house with one of us! Luckily my guy is often working on projects in the garage, but when he's in the house I usually find myself saying something like "I regret to inform you that it's piano time again..."

Back to the topic at hand - I have been reluctant to engage in the '10x in a row' plan (because frankly...it's painful), but I started doing it last week for some sketchy spots and it's already paying off. Now I just need to keep forcing myself to remember that when the whiny voice in my head tries to talk me out of it.

twocats

JB_PT Back to the topic at hand - I have been reluctant to engage in the '10x in a row' plan (because frankly...it's painful)

Last practice I was working on a phrase and repeated it multiple times but maybe 5-6 times clean. 10x felt like too much 🙁

Maybe I just don't like taking my medicine, even if it's good for me.

JB_PT

twocats I feel you! I'm not confident yet that I can make this a habit, but at least I've gotten started. One of the first times I did it, I blew it on #8 or 9. I think I died a little bit. 😆 I was much more careful after that.

twocats

JB_PT One of the first times I did it, I blew it on #8 or 9. I think I died a little bit. 😆

Oh no!! 😂😂😂

lilypad

I just watched Dr. Molly Gebrian's day 6 practice tips on YouTube. The tip was for micro breaks of 10-15 seconds after every 3 correct repetitions in a row. I've done this in the past after watching her original video, but somehow got out of the habit. Anyway, I'm thinking 9 repetitions split up into sets of 3 might be a good alternative to 10 times in a row for that purpose.

Overachievers could make it 12, 15, 18, etc. Since I've been taking the lazy approach of just 5, I could change it up to just 6 or be even lazier and lower it to 3.

Pallas

lilypad I most often do 3x3x3, but yesterday I got impatient, and got really random about it. It helps to know this is probably normal. It takes a while to build new habits!

twocats

lilypad The tip was for micro breaks of 10-15 seconds after every 3 correct repetitions in a row.

That's a great tip! I am not in the habit of taking breaks during practice (I know it's bad, especially if it's many hours) but can you take a break by working on something different or do you sit there for 10-15 seconds doing nothing? Maybe I should just alternate between different focused sections.

ranjit

lilypad Anyway, I'm thinking 9 repetitions split up into sets of 3 might be a good alternative to 10 times in a row for that purpose.

Overachievers could make it 12, 15, 18, etc. Since I've been taking the lazy approach of just 5, I could change it up to just 6 or be even lazier and lower it to 3.

Even 6 or 9 feels like a achievement to me!

Pallas

twocats The way I've read it, we can alternate during breaks. I think the idea is that the short break between repetitions helps move the information out of the super short-term memory into longer-term memory. Because science.

Anecdotally, I'll say zero calculus made it out of my short-term memory. I packed it in, took a test, emptied it out and forgot about it. If I'd known about these techniques, I might have retained something from college math classes.

MRC

twocats That's a great tip! I am not in the habit of taking breaks during practice (I know it's bad, especially if it's many hours) but can you take a break by working on something different or do you sit there for 10-15 seconds doing nothing? Maybe I should just alternate between different focused sections

Here's what Molly Gebrian says in her Practice Challenge video, day 6:

Micro breaks are short little breaks, 10-15 seconds, where you stop practising, you stop thinking, and you just let your brain space out. […] It feels like wasted time, but it's absolutely not.

I totally agree. I also note that she explains that she will do three repetitions, take the micro break, and then three more. If all the repetitions are good, she will go on to something else and come back to that spot later. So she's only done 6 in a row.

6 repetitions, each done with utmost concentration, seem quite enough for me. Can somebody point me to a video where she talks about 10 repetitions in a row?

twocats

Pallas The way I've read it, we can alternate during breaks. I think the idea is that the short break between repetitions helps move the information out of the super short-term memory into longer-term memory. Because science.

After watching Dr. Molly's videos this is what I understood as well! I'm going to try it today. Have guests this weekend but hopefully can do some practice before they arrive today, and will focus on just the bookmarked pages with 3x repetitions plus breaks.

twocats

MRC thank you!! I'll try that. 10 seems like too much but I can commit to 2 x3 repetitions with micro breaks!

JB_PT

MRC Can somebody point me to a video where she talks about 10 repetitions in a row?

I don't recall seeing it in any of her videos, but it is mentioned in her book when she talks about 'overlearning.' She does say there's nothing magical about 10x; the number of correct repetitions depends on how many times you played it wrong before getting it right. As an example, she says if you had to try 10 times before you played it correctly, you should do at least 5 in a row correctly after that (50% overlearning) but 10 would be even better (100% overlearning).

I don't typically count my wrong attempts. Personally I plan to reserve this 10x for real trouble spots where I know I'm stumbling often or trying to get used to a new fingering, etc.

Ithaca

MRC 6 repetitions, each done with utmost concentration, seem quite enough for me. Can somebody point me to a video where she talks about 10 repetitions in a row?

Somewhere in the link below, she says that 5 good repetitions (of short sections) in a row is the bare minimum, and she encourages her students to aim for 10 in a row. Not necessarily because that's what's required to re-wire your brain, but partly because the increasing pressure of not screwing it up as you get closer and closer to 10 good reps mimics the pressure of playing in public/for an exam/for your teacher.

thepianoplayer416

The first time learning any piece that is above your technical level would be challenging. Master it once and relearning it a few months or years later would be much easier.

The last piece I played I had not touched for half a year. In a few days the sections started coming back. Of course the piece was repeated more than 10x including relearning it later. The 2nd time running through the piece was much less of a struggle.

« Previous Page Next Page »