Memory and Learning | The Brain
Our brain is the most complex part of our bodies, the mysteries of how it works and stores information are still being researched and unraveled. I’ve spent some time in recent months thinking about ways to approach memorizing information. Most of the better approaches are along the lines of “Spaced Repetition” which essentially means you see the information at regular intervals until it’s well known and then you see it less frequently.
Let’s say I asked you to memorize two phone numbers. One you would not use for 10 years, the other you would use daily as part of your work. After five months which one do you think you will know better?
The one you use daily is likely to be more easily remembered. Our brains don’t like to waste effort. This is why we have short and long term memory. Long term memory is for those things that the brain thinks is important enough to devote the effort to REALLY keep. For most of us there are 2 ways that information can be deemed important enough to move to long term memory. 1) If it’s a traumatic event. Events at either end of the spectrum of emotion from terror to jubilation are usually remembered for a very long time. 2) If it’s information that we see and deal with on a daily basis.
So…. how does this apply to music. When students start out that have never seen the staff before and are learning the notes on the staff, they need to try to get in some time EACH day to practice the note naming. Each time they do that practice it pushes information towards longer term memory, but it can’t be done in one afternoon. (That’s SHORT term memory.) It HAS to be reinforced to become long-term memory.
Likewise you can expect to have some of the information fade if you go without using it for several years. (It should come back rather quickly though.)
The other application to music is in memorizing pieces. This is why I still remember many of the pieces I played in college that I memorized, because I worked on them daily for so long and then after college I returned to them on occasion to reinforce that memory.
I think that understanding the way the mind works to remember things can be a helpful asset in learning NEW material too. The bottom line is this: 1) don’t practice everything in one day and expect it to “stick”. 2) practice a little each day the things you’re trying to remember. 3) repeat this principle for the LONG term.
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