Does practice actually make perfect?
“Practice makes permanent, not perfect”
What does this statement mean? Well, simply put it means that whatever we practice we are reinforcing. Our brain is composed of billions of tiny neurons. These are the basic cellular building blocks that communicate and connect with each other through axons to form a Neural pathway inside our brains. As a behaviour or skill is repeated the neural pathway is strengthened by a process called Myelination which involves insulating the Axon. As Myelin is created the pathway gets stronger and the communication between the neurons gets faster thus turning a behaviour into a habit. It’s as if your internet connection just got upgraded from dial-up to 5G. Throughout the day you do many different complicated actions that feel automatic such as driving, reading, or riding a bicycle. They feel automatic due to the fact that a neural pathway has been formed.
So how does this apply to music and to singing?
Know that any amount of practice, big or small, will start to create a stronger neural pathway and the more you practice the faster that connection will get. The idea that practice makes perfect is perhaps a little vague as that depends on what your definition of perfect is. Have you ever tried to learn a song and find that you continue to make the same mistake over and over again when performing it? This is very common for all musicians as it is part of the learning process. The danger is when we continue to engrain that mistake into our learning and it remains there until it’s been addressed.
Wait, so does this mean I should never practice in fear that I will engrain bad habits? No, of course not, instead try to be mindful of what exactly you are practicing and most importantly how you are practicing it.
Tips on how to practice
Set a goal
Start small with a goal that is attainable and manageable (Maybe you start with 5 minutes a day)
Keep track of your progress and celebrate when your successes
Only once you have succeeded should you increase your goal
Quality over quantity
Dedicate a specific amount of time for your practice
A shorter focused practice session is more effective than a longer session that is filled with interruptions
Be mindful and try your best to be present in the moment, you’re doing great!
Play!
Remember to have fun
Experiment with different techniques
Enjoy the process
So what exactly should I be practicing?
Your teacher hopefully will tell you the things that they would like you to be practicing. For my students this often includes various warmups, breathing and technical exercises. As far as repertoire and songs are concerned there are different ways you could practice. Think of a song as having multiple layers. These layers could be the rhythm, the notes/pitches (melody), the words, and finally the stylistic features (dynamics, articulations etc.).
A great way to practice a song is to break up into these different elements. You might practice clapping or speaking the rhythm on its own. Try singing the notes slowly on a single vowel (ah, ee, ooh etc.). Try reading the words out loud. You might even record yourself speaking the words and play it back to yourself. Write out the words on a sheet of paper to see the words separated from the music. Go through the score and circle any dynamics or articulation markings. Now that you’ve identified and practiced each layer independently you can start combining them. You can start singing the pitches with the correct rhythm on a single vowel (without words). You can also speak the words in rhythm (without pitches). Building your song with these different layers is also a great way to help you internalize and memorize your piece.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. It means a lot to me. If you would like to hear more from me then I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on social media.
I look forward to seeing you in the studio and online!
Sincerely,
Adam
