Let the conundrum parade begin. Does Repetition really Work?

Perhaps the biggest catch 22 of all, the biggest paradox that we face in the practice room is the constant battle between time and quality of time. I have to put in the reps but if those reps are quality they don’t matter. If I shoot for only quality and practice all of 60 seconds that definitely doesn’t work either. So which is it? My mind needs to make up its mind and decide which one is more important? My western upbringing forces me into a this or that question and answer instead of this and that. Its both and it brings us to another conundrum and even more puzzling question… If I am so determined to make up my mind on this, so determined to make a decision then why do I have such a hard time making a decision about what I am playing and learning? That is the biggest mystery of all. And… it is the solution to the problem we are raising here.

You have to do the reps, you have to put in the time. While you are putting in those reps and putting in that time you can’t mindlessly play through them. I don’t mean you have to be making Einstein level musical decisions, you just have to decide on whether or not you like what you hear. You have to teach it to your brain so your brain can tell your hands and fingers what to do. Which is odd in itself since your hands and fingers are the ones doing the work in the first place to teach it to your brain. When I say teach it to your brain this is what I mean.

We were working on Minuet in G here in the studio last night, the big shift to G in measure 9-10 in suzuki book 3. As I was shifting up there with the student I realized that there are a multitude of ways to go about this. I can just go through the motions, the mindless way, or I can sing the note internally when I hear the rining tone ring out against the open G string. That ringing tone lets me know its in tune. But if I stop there I didn’t go far enough. I have to decide that I like that ringing sound. Then I can’t stop there. I have to decide that the ringing sound I like is actually “Correct” “In Tune”, I have to say these things to myself and resolve my being to accepting that this is where the finger must land. Sounds dramatic but I guess this why practicing is fun. Then I have to take all that information and decision and lock it away in my long term memory banks by singing it to myself out loud or internally in an emotional musical way. Then its learned, then I have it, then I can recreate it later, execute the shift in a meaningful and consistent way.

A lot for one note I know. But its the big moment, it is one of the major teaching points in the piece and so you will see this a lot as you journey through this cello life. You will find yourself spending 90% of your time on 10% of the piece. Its just the way it goes.

Happy practicing and as always happy decision making. This is the key, you have to make up your mind to make up your mind. And you have to resolve yourself to the idea that grunt style work, like repetitions, is an aspect of learning. I say grunt style because it is never completely Neanderthal like work, its never really mindless, or at least it shouldn’t be.

Let me know how it’s going.

Peace

Clay