GUITAR PRACTICE AND MUSCLE MEMORY

INTRODUCTION

Ever seen a fff***ing drunk man playing flawlessly as if he was thinking straight with no trace of spirit running in his blood stream...except you can tell he's had too many for the drools are too many!

That, my friend, is actually the work of the muscle memory; and that is something everybody-including you, can take advantage of, that is, with the right approach.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MUSCLE MEMORY?

Can you still remember the first time you were taught how to tie your shoe laces? Remember when you had to think ‘make a loop here, then round it up to the other...’? But after a lot of repetition, the skill of tying shoe laces became automatic without you noticing, right?

Muscle memory is a type of movement with which our muscles become familiar over time. Our bodies have this special ability to recall automatically an action that has been hard-coded in our muscle memory through repetition.

HOW DOES MUSCLE MEMORY WORK?

Although the exact mechanism of muscle memory is unknown, it is said when learning a new activity, or practicing an old one, significant brain activity takes place. Neural pathways are formed that gives the muscles a sense of muscle memory. In other words, even without thinking, you soon were able to tie your shoe laces, and the muscles are completely accustomed to this process. You don’t have to tell yourself the old shoe lace tying chant anymore; your body just knows how to do it, largely because neurons communicate with the muscles.

When a drunken man can plays like he’s normal, it simply means that he practiced his piece over and over again.

Most top level athletes and performers in a variety of fields believe that muscle memory is best developed when the same activities are practiced over and over again, with any corrections of form that are needed. Continual practice may mean you can make that perfect golf swing every single time (or almost), or hit a high note every time if you’re a singer. (wisegeek.com)

MUSCLE MEMORY CAN MAKE YOU OR BREAK YOU

In practice, muscle memory becomes an unconscious process. The muscles grow accustomed to certain types of movement. This is one of the reasons that with many activities that involve the body’s muscles, like playing guitar, learning appropriate technique is always stressed. Bad habits such as the use of too much random fingering can be programmed to your muscle memory, in the same manner as correct picking or fingerings.

You may have already heard this argument from music teachers: ‘It’s a lot harder to teach someone who’s been playing an instrument for a few years because of all the bad habits they’ve acquired.” The only cure for bad habits is to ‘break’ them, and the process of breaking will require extra energy, attention and time. So if you want to be wise, it’s never too late to practice smart and start right from now on.

‘PHYSICAL’ ADVANTAGE OF A DEVELOPED MUSCLE MEMORY

Ø Muscle memory can help you regain the strength of the muscles used in playing the guitar after a long break faster

Anyone who has lifted weights, on and off, for several years is familiar with the concept of "muscle memory". Muscle memory in this context refers to the observation that when a person begins lifting weights after a prolonged lay off, it is much easier to return to their previous levels of size and strength than it was to get there the first time around. Even when significant atrophy (muscle shrinking) has taken place during the layoff, previously hypertrophied muscle returns to its previous size more quickly than usual. (excerpt from Muscle Memory: Scientists May Have Unwittingly Uncovered Its, Mystery, Bryan Haycock, MS, thinkmuscle.com)

WHAT KIND OF REPETITION SHOULD I DO THEN?

Ø It takes time to hard code a skill in the muscle memory, so it is better to master a single way of playing a song first – a single pattern for fret hand fingering for example would give a focused programming to your muscle memory. Can you imagine how longer it would take for your fingers to react if you had 3 different versions of fingering of a song? That would just be confusing.

Ø Repeat practicing in a relaxed and focused state, with the least tension possible.

Ø PROGRAM YOUR BODY RIGHT: know what you want your fingers to accomplish, know how that accomplishment is to be gained

THE LEAST YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ø Everybody uses muscle memory – even the carpenter that takes a practice swing before hitting the nail with his hammer. You use it too, whether you like it or not.

Ø Constant repetition – constant repetition – constant repetition is the cornerstone of muscle memory

Ø Muscle memory can make you or break you – So practice right! Good luck amigo!

GUITAR PRACTICE AND MUSCLE MEMORY