WHEN You Practice Your Guitar Playing Might be More Important Than HOW You Practice

In this article I will discuss a concept which I've come to know and appreciate over many years of playing guitar. This concept is how the brain programs muscle memory overnight when we sleep. This has been studied in regards to many fields (mainly athletics), but I will be discussing its use and value as it relates to playing guitar.

If you've been playing guitar for quite some time or just know a few chords this scenario may ring true to you:

You're practicing a key technique, strumming pattern, picking pattern or maybe even a simple chord and it is really difficult. You know what I mean -- it's frustrating you to the point where you would rather use your guitar for a planter at the time. You finally give up and go to bed. The next day, suddenly like magic, you find you can now play the thing that mere hours ago was giving you fits.

As you can guess, your brain is responsible for this feat. The key point here is that your brain does the "wiring" for your newly acquired skills during sleep. This is referred to as "muscle memory". Everything you know how to do automatically (such as walk, drive, eat with a fork) is due to your brain processing new data learned and in effect rewiring itself to help you do that physical activity again more efficiently. Muscle memory is a bit of a misnomer, because as far as we know, your muscles do not actually remember things. However your brain does restructure itself to make new neuron to nervous system connections. Scientific research indicates that these connections are made primarily while sleeping. This is where the benefit is for the guitarist, whether you be a beginner or an advanced player.

How to use Muscle Memory to your advantage

Try this experiment and see if you don't learn more rapidly. I've used these techniques with my guitar students before with good success.

1. Pick a chord or picking pattern you want to learn (maybe one you've already been practicing and having difficulty).
2. Practice the chord or technique exclusively before bedtime for only 10 to 15 minutes. I've found that in most cases the best practice-to-skill acquisition ratio falls within this time frame. Any more and you see declining results and increasing frustration. Any less and you may not get the full benefit of programming for muscle memory.
3. Go to sleep for the night.
4. The next day, try to play the desired guitar technique you are learning and note how much easier or faster you can play.
5. Do this for as many nights as you need to develop the proficiency you desire.
   
   These steps may seem simplistic, but the concept is powerful. As a practical example: If you are a beginner, learning chords, I would do the 10-15 minute practice time by carefully making the chord shape strumming each string to ensure each string in the chord rings clearly and hold the chord shape for a few seconds. Remove your hand from the fretboard and attempt to make the chord again as well as you can automatically. I usually recommend verbally saying the chord you are fingering as well. Practice no more than two or three chords and practice switching between the chords as well. Remember - do this no more than 10 - 15 minutes before bedtime.
   
   One word of warning in regards to muscle memory - it does not differentiate between good technique and bad technique. In other words, you need to be sure to do all that you can to use proper form, posture, finger arch, or whatever you can do to ensure that muscle memory does not program a flaw into your technique. I will probably discuss these good practices and techniques in more detail in the future, but for now just be aware of this.
   
   If you utilize these simple steps, you can make rapid advancement in your guitar playing, particularly as a beginner. The power of these techniques is in the limitation of time. The point is to keep guitar playing fun and rewarding. By not allowing yourself to relentlessly practice the same piece over and over for hours you eliminate the potential for burning yourself out on guitar playing due to the frustration.
   
   Give these tips a try and let muscle memory and your brain do the hard work while you sleep and wake up a better guitar player.

This article by: ©2009 by J. Corey Lewis - All Rights Reserved