Repeating a part helps you learn it, but it can get boring. Once you can play it cleanly, try keeping yourself interested with a podcast, audiobook or sport on TV. If you can keep playing cleanly while your attention is elsewhere, that is also a useful sign that the part is becoming automatic.
When I was a kid, in the dim, dark past, I did not understand why I should repeat the same pattern until it became automatic. Even if somebody had explained muscle memory to me perfectly, I am not sure it would have changed much. I avoided the work because the work was boring.
I understand the reason for it now. I still find it boring.
What has changed is how I get through it. Once I can play a part cleanly, I will often keep the repetitions going while I watch sport, listen to a podcast or put on an audiobook. It makes a dull but useful part of practice much easier to keep doing.
I also find that it tells me something useful. If the pattern stays clean while my attention is elsewhere, it is beginning to become automatic. If it falls apart as soon as I follow the conversation, it still needs more attention.
Do not distract yourself while learning the part. Distract yourself from the boredom once you can play it cleanly.
Why repetition helps
One clean attempt shows that you can play the part. Repeating it cleanly makes that version easier to play again without thinking about every note.
For a drummer it might be a sticking or foot pattern. For another musician it could be a fingering, chord change, bow stroke or articulation. After enough clean repetitions, you can play it that way with less conscious effort.
Understanding a part and being able to play it reliably are different things. You may know what to play but still need plenty of practice. That can mean repeating it long after you have lost interest.
What to expect
The work may not become exciting
Boredom does not mean it has stopped working
Short, repeated sessions still count
Put something on if it helps you keep practising.
Learning the part before adding a distraction
While following a podcast, you may miss a tighter grip or an uneven transition. Before you put anything on, play the part cleanly several times in a row.
When to add a podcast, audiobook or TV
Learn the part without entertainment. Decide how it should feel and sound. Use a mirror, recording or teacher’s feedback if that helps.
Slow it down. Give yourself time to notice tension and work on awkward movements between notes. The slow-practice guide goes further into this stage.
Repeat it cleanly. Play it cleanly several times in a row. One good attempt is not enough.
Put something on. Follow the match, podcast or audiobook for a while and listen for any change in your playing.
Signs the part still needs your full attention
You still need to remember what comes next
You play it differently from one repetition to the next
You cannot hear when it goes wrong
You need to watch what you are doing constantly
The pattern is only occasionally successful
If you repeat it badly, that version becomes familiar too. Put the podcast on only after you can play the part cleanly.
Choosing what to listen to or watch
I want something interesting enough to make the repetitions less boring, while still being able to hear my playing and the click.
Put onWorks whenWatch for
PodcastThe pattern is already familiarComplex discussion taking too much attention
AudiobookYou can hear your timing and sound clearlyHeadphones making the instrument or click hard to hear
SportYou no longer need to watch your techniqueStopping every time something happens
MusicBest left off for this jobA second pulse competing with the one you are practising
Playing a podcast or audiobook on the same phone
Start the podcast or audiobook, then open GigClick. Both keep playing on the same phone. GigClick will not turn down or pause the spoken audio. On iPhone and iPad, turn on Play with other audio in GigClick’s Settings first.
Why I avoid background music during this exercise
Background music has a pulse and accents that can distract me from the rhythm I am practising. I may change my timing to match it, or miss uneven notes in my own playing.
Speech can still be distracting, but it is less likely to give you another steady pulse to follow. In one study, music made it harder to stay with a metronome than speech did. That supports choosing speech over music, although a demanding podcast can still take too much attention.
If you cannot hear your playing clearly or notice mistakes, turn it down or pause it.
Checking your playing while listening or watching
Give your playing your full attention at regular intervals. Listen for uneven timing or changes in sound, and check for tension.
Start focused. Play the part with the technique and sound you want before the distraction begins.
Keep playing while you listen or watch.
Check back regularly. Give your playing your full attention for a few repetitions. Check how it sounds and feels.
Pause the distraction if your playing changes. Lower the tempo or practise just the difficult bar or transition before continuing.
What to check
Does the timing remain even?
Does the playing still feel relaxed?
Are the accents and quiet notes still clear?
When you pay attention again, are you still playing cleanly?
If the part stays clean while you follow something else, it is starting to need less conscious attention. Researchers use similar tests to study automatic skills. Keep checking your timing, sound and technique as you practise.
