I Have a Confession

Hi I’m Vi Wickam and this is another myTalentForge Quick Tip of the Week!

This week I have a confession… I really hate repetition. It is totally against my nature to practice things repetitively.

But there’s something I know- which is that repetition, with intention, is a powerful tool to becoming a better musician.

If I don’t practice these skills until I can do them comfortably, I never get good at them. So, I have to repeat things – as repetition is important.

And when repetition is important is when you’re really paying attention and you’re focused as you’re repeating it.

So, none of this autopilot repetition – where your brain is elsewhere and you’re just doing it over, and over, and over again. You have to repeat with intention, you have to repeat really paying attention.

I did this with my daughter when she was practicing her piano- we called it “3 Times, Pass”. So she would have to play a passage, repeat the passage, until she played it 3 times in a row correctly.

Now, my violin teacher, when I was a teenager, said to do it 10 times correctly in a row. I think there’s a point- and you’ll recognize this point- where you do the exercise, you do that skill, and it feels comfortable.

Up until that point, you experience discomfort. That’s where you’re learning the skill.

Once you experience that comfort in the skill, do it a couple more times. So that you really nailed it, you’ve nailed it in. You really know this skill!

And then…take a break!

Repetition is important, even for those of us who don’t like repetition.

That’s your Quick Tip for the week! Have fun, enjoy your instrument, and I’ll see you next week!