The brain is an incredibly powerful and complex organ. It is able to solve complex problems, spot patterns and be creative amongst many other functions and operations. However, there is one thing that the brain isn’t always great at, remembering things. That’s not to say that musicians (or people in general) are unintelligent or stupid. It's more that the brain isn't the most reliable method of storing every piece of information we need for all of the different parts of our lives.
When it comes to practising specifically, how many times have you sat with your instrument and thought “what did I do yesterday?” or “what tempo was I playing that passage at?”. Information like this isn’t life threatening or required for survival. But forgetting such information and starting things from scratch or guessing at how much progress has been made is a quick way to kill motivation and get discouraged when trying to develop a skill. So what can be done about this?
The answer is so wonderfully simple that many overlook its power and impact. Its a cheap, portable and wonderfully easy method that is considerably underrated. It is the power of pen and paper and writing stuff down!
The brain uses more energy and processing power trying to remember things than we sometimes realise. This can create an obstacle or resistance to the process of practising, as well as cause all sorts of stray thoughts about practise to come to mind when we should be doing something else. Rather than devoting energy to storing information, we can simply write it down and it's safe.
Benny Greb says “I can’t do without it…” when talking about journaling. It is so simple and takes barely any time at all.
What do I write?
This is always the first question when we suggest journaling to our students here at The Drum Hub. The short answer is you can write what you want - it's your journal after all. Write the information that will help you the most in the moment and next time you sit with your instrument.
Some suggestions may include:
Date
Name or brief description of exercise/ activity
Tempo worked at
How long you worked on it for
How you felt (physically and emotionally) during and about the practice
Writing things down will help you to take a step from back for the work done and look at it more objectively. It will also help you look at the context of one practise session in the context of your larger musical goals. It can also help you see and create new patterns and ideas. “The brain likes to think in opposites, but with pen and paper you can think in alternatives.” (Benny Greb) As you look at the work done, you may spot technical or theoretical patterns in your playing that you may need to address. You may not have otherwise observed these on you own without seeing them written down.
A journal is also a wonderful and uplifting way of looking back on your personal history with your instrument. It will track the highs and lows, good days and bad days, as well all the blood sweat and tears you’ve put into to grow as a musician. It can act like a photo album with your instrument as you look back on exercises and music that you have performed or worked on over time. Additionally, looking back like this provides you with irrefutable data that you are improving and growing as a musician. There really is no better way to motivate yourself and increase your belief in yourself like looking back at your success.
So why not try it out? Grab a pen and paper, or even a note taking app on your phone and begin to track your personal history today. “Track the past, order the present, and design the future”. Ryder Carol. Journaling is a fantastic way to start with this!
About The Drum Hub.
The Drum Hub is a specialist drum school based in Wolverhampton UK. We offer 1-to- 1 lessons for students age 6 and above using 2 professional acoustic kits and teaching a wide variety of musical subjects and skills. For more information about The Drum Hub visit www.thedrumhub.co.uk .
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