The Power Of Repetition - It's More Critical Than You Think
When you learn something new, do you think that repetition helps? In blogging, aren't we taught that to succeed we must write a boatload of content? Even if the quality of early content may not be great. The process of continuous writing, combined with continuous improvement can show significant results over time.
I would like to use the process of learning a new piece on the piano to make this point. Earlier this year I wanted to learn all three movements of Beethoven's Moonlight sonata. The musicians among us will know that the first movement is the slow one. The second is like a bridge between the easier first, and the much more difficult third. It is the third I want to use to illustrate my point.
When you learn to play a piece, at first you play it slowly so that you can read all the notes. In addition, you work out the most optimum fingering to play the piece comfortably. Getting everything in sync is also another consideration.
Once you have these elements established, the next step is to play the piece repeatedly. While doing this the magic of motor memory starts to kick in. After a great deal of repetition, at increasing speed, the brain remembers what to do and transmits the correct information to the fingers.
Even when you have the music in front of you, that is just there to provide memory cues. Playing it often enough will eventually render the piece to memory so that no sheet music will be necessary. This is called motor memory. I did record earlier versions. Take it from me, they sounded terrible. So many stops and starts. Reading the music without playing. A plethora of wrong notes. It was a great deal of repetition that helped me to get to what you see here.
When writing content, what do we do? As we progress we learn to use keywords and SEO more effectively. Don't you also notice you can write at a higher rate? The more you write, the better you get. Just like learning a piece on the piano.
I made a video of my performing the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata that you can view on my YouTube channel on my profile page:
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/edwinbernard
Click on the Video Menu to get to this piece.
Notice my finger movements across the keyboard. Do you think I am actually reading the music as I was playing it?
No! I used the sheet music like a security blanket. I was still making some mistakes that will require more repetition to correct. Once I reach that phase, I will be able to play it without the sheet music in front of me. I lost count of the number of times I had to practice this piece just to get it to this level.
I hope you can relate to my piano analogy on the power of repetition. I'd love to hear your comments on the use of this analogy.
Cheers.
Edwin
Recent Comments
48
Great post and I enjoyed your piano playing on YouTube. You're very talented! I agree, the more you do something the easier it gets. Learning to drive is similar and becomes something you do without thinking. I've definitely noticed an improvement in my writing skills over the past few years, though I still can't write as fast as some
Oh Kathy,
You are so kind with your comments on my playing, Thanks for taking the time to check out my channel and listen.
Great to hear from you.
Edwin
It's a fantastic analogy, Edwin! I can even relate a tiny bit. I took piano lessons for about 9 years, until I was 16. I wish I could tell you I enjoyed it, but I didn't. So I didn't practice any more than I had to.
But I've always admired those who have that drive to practice and perfect the music.
And I can totally relate it to writing content. Since I started writing more often, I feel like I've gotten better and have to do less research because some things I know now.
Lynn
Hello Lynn,
Great to hear about your experience with the piano and also content. It's like anything we do. The more we do it the better we get.
Thanks for sharing.
Edwin
Excellent, Edwn. You know I would agree on repetition as being the best way to learn something thoroughly. I have music that I haven't played in years. Yet, if I get it out and play it again, it only takes a little time until I can get it up to speed again.
If you learn something thoroughly, it will always come back to you.
I can't throw away the sheet music any more, because of the beginning of macular degeneration. But the music is a crutch that keeps me on track--when my eyes play tricks on me.
The more you write the easier it becomes. It is the repetition, the pattern that you fall into as you write. You find yourself using the same pattern, even though the subject may be different.
Eventually, it becomes easier to write, because you have learned the pattern through repetition.
Hi Barbara,
Glad to hear you also play the piano and can relate to motor memory. Music is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Thanks for sharing.
Edwin
Repetition does make it easier and better as well Edwin.
When I was a student nurse, we had to sit with experienced nurses and doctors to see how they see patients and what they say to care for them.
Even though at first, you only repeat what you observed over the period when you were only observing, you will find that a lot of the information sticks into your head.
However, I would always go one step further by researching those answers to find out the reasons behind them and why they were given to solve the patient's problems.
My research proved that I would not only find those reasons but I would also learn other important stuff along the way.
Stuff that I would use as evidence for the answers that I was now giving to patients
In time, even though that was the way we were taught, we eventually found our own way by having our own experience.
It us the same in our online business. We follow until we become experience to a point.
And then our consistent growth and development and them our own experience will make us experts
Hi Simone,
Your actions on learning show you are the model of an excellent student. When we stretch ourselves, that helps to solidify what we learn.
Thanks for sharing your nursing experience and relating that to our online businesses.
Cheers.
Edwin
See more comments
Hi Edwin,
Indeed, repetition is vital in our learning! When we are learning something new no matter what, we have to repeat it many a time before we can master it.
“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” Zig Ziglar
Have a fantastic day! Wishing you the very best!
Kind regards,
Nichola
Hi Nichola,
Thanks for your validating comments. There are some things that can only be learned by logic and others by repetition or rote using an old term. It is up to us to figure out the difference.
Cheers.
Edwin
You are welcome. Indeed!