How much repetition to learn

Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Need help? Visit our Help Center. Go here to connect your wallet. Have you ever thought about what it takes to solidify something new into your memory? Research shows that one of the key strategies is repetition. This is not a new idea — in fact, it is so old there is a Latin quote about it….

Repetition isn't the flashiest or most exciting strategy for learning something new, but research shows that it is necessary. Repetition is required to transition a skill from the conscious level of understanding to the subconscious. To put it another way, repetition increases automaticity. Whilst the brain does everything it can to protect itself and age well, our lifestyle also affects its ability to store and recall.

Better food choices can protect our brains as well as regular exercise and sleep — which consolidates information and helps us remember better. You can improve your memory by deliberately re-exposing yourself to the information more elaborately. Repetition has been a memorization skill for ages. The right kind of repetition can do wonders for your memory. People learn or remember better by repeating things or getting exposed to information multiple times.

Others repeat particular steps or processes deliberately a number of times or even years to become better at certain skills.

Repetition is critical to most types of learning. There is a way to run the experiment on oneself, though. Learn a piece, and overlearn some segments and just practice until bare competence on others. Record the subjective observations feelings of ease and even errors. I can say after more than 35 years playing bass in a professional orchestra, we all learn differently.

While some things are super easy for one person, the next player over will find it difficult. Again, we are all wired differently.

As experienced players, we discover that these same difficult passages keep coming back over time, so finding a way to internalize them own it! But each student also trains us as teachers to recognize or discover what worked, or what clicked to help that individual and over time, we recognize some of these similarities with others that come after them, which enable us to recognize them, and then ably help that next student.

I often work on coordination patterns that I can then use in beats, fills, solos, songs, etc. I often want to speed up patterns to my physical limits and repeat them dozens of times in a row. For more on at-tempo practice, I think you might find the podcast episode with Jason Sulliman interesting and helpful.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Learn the 1 thing that top practicers do differently, plus 7 other strategies for practice that sticks. If performances have been frustratingly inconsistent, try the 4-min Mental Skills Audit. It won't tell you what Harry Potter character you are, but it will point you in the direction of some new practice hacks that could help you level up.

Take the MSA. Popular Articles. Is Slow Practice Really Necessary? Share 2. Noa Kageyama, Ph. Based in NYC, he is married to a terrific pianist, has two hilarious kids, and is a wee bit obsessed with technology and all things Apple. Learn More.

Thank you! Hi Konstantine, Astute observation.