Practice

Abstract

Abstract Engaging in extended periods of isolated practice is a rite of passage for nearly all musicians seeking performance expertise. Although there is variation across individuals, it is understood that acquiring and refining music performance skills requires devoting an enormous amount of time and energy to practice. Advances in performance science have shown that the efficient acquisition of music performance expertise requires a disciplined learning approach that involves a focused application of strategies that maximize human learning potentials. Musicians cannot afford to be ill-informed when it comes to practice. Meandering and wandering through learning via trial and error can lead to plateaus in achievement as well as emotional and/or motivational burnout. Haphazard approaches to practice can result in the internalization of improper techniques, poor habits, and performance errors. Having to work to overcome such challenges can consume tremendous amounts of energy and force learners to spend time on remediating their technique or relearning skills rather than advancing in ability. The purposes of this chapter are to describe theoretical frameworks that are particularly useful for characterizing how practice and human learning potential are intertwined and to present several strategies and techniques that researchers have identified as effective methods for skill acquisition.

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