The Science Behind Daily Practice - how does it really work?

Salut Les Amis! Before we begin, I must fully try to wrap my head around the fact that Raspberry Ripple has crossed more than 9K streams across platforms! 😮 So I would like to start off by expressing my gratitude towards each one of you! This is beyond my wildest imagination and I am so grateful for everyone who has reached out and conveyed their thoughts! I couldn't have hit this milestone without your continuous support and the love you've showered on my music. Also, I am doing live streams every Saturday AM Eastern Time where I pick a topic and riff about it, share my experiences and insights. For eg: in last week’s live stream, I spoke about my approach to guitar practice and how I formulated my routine.

Which is a nice segue into our topic for this week! I started making a handwritten note of my guitar practice regimen around 15th of December. I simply happened to stumble upon this process. On that day, as I began my practice routine, I noticed a tiny notebook present on my desk, with a pen beside it. I opened it, wrote the date and jotted down the 4 main items of my practice session. After a month of entries, looking back on them, I realized the importance of practice in the development of musicians. (PS: Here is a link to my guitar practice routine which is regularly updated! P.P.S You will also find a picture of the handwritten diary here 🙂 )

This led me down a rabbit hole of scientific articles, blogs, published research papers, books and so many more resources that have explained the significance of this process. I would like to share some of those key understandings with you all. And these seem to generally apply to any particular habit that you are trying to develop!

“An exploration of the practice habits and experiences of professional musicians” by Christine Vellacott has 2 main conclusions that throw light on the importance of daily practice and its impact on your craft!

“Effective Practice Strategies: Listening to recordings, engaging in slow practice, and fostering a focused, self-aware mindset emerged as pivotal strategies among professionals. These methods highlight the significance of intentional and mindful practice, showcasing a nuanced approach beyond mere time investment. “

In my case, the outcomes of these effective practice strategies are Memory Enhancement and Increased Stamina and Endurance. Repetitive practice reinforces memorization, aiding in the recall of musical passages. Regular engagement strengthens neural connections, contributing to a more reliable and instantaneous memory recall during performances. This helps me develop the stamina needed for extended performances, reducing fatigue and maintaining focus over longer durations.

“Intrinsic Motivation and Adaptive Techniques: Recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation appeared crucial in sustaining a long-term commitment to professional practice.”

My daily practice routine has completely changed my perspective on music, its approach and its significance in my day to day life. By being intrinsically motivated to create something new every day, it provides me the opportunity for artistic experimentation. I am able to explore different interpretations, dynamics, and phrasing, fostering creativity and allowing me for a more nuanced and personalized musical expression. For example, I have been really focused on developing my improvisation skills by learning different ragas that can be played in the Lydian mode. Focusing on this one area each day has led to some unique guitar melodies that were never a part of my playing or listening vocabulary. This has helped me pursue musical inspiration beyond the boundaries of the “progressive rock” genre. I am fascinated everyday and this has made daily practice incredibly enjoyable!

Another aspect that I find is steadily progressing is a deep understanding of repertoire which is giving me confidence. My intention is to feel more secure in my abilities, and positively impact my stage presence and overall performance demeanor.

As I begin to prepare playing live, another great insight provided by my guitar teacher, Jake Howsam Lowe, comes from the famous book, The Inner Game of Music- by Barry Green.

I have always had the fear of making mistakes on the stage. It is something I really struggle with and no matter how much I have prepared myself, as many times as I find myself performing, there is a fear of making mistakes. But after reading through the chapter on performance, the author points out that over the course of your musical career, you will have incidents that contribute your absolute best gig and your absolute worst gig. When I think about the times I have made a mistake, I remember the exact setting my guitar was at, the pick up selector was not in the correct slot, my hand was sweaty, the plectrum had almost slipped out of my hand etc etc. And overall the memory of this mistake in this gig is not pleasant. 🙃 

Conversely, if I was to think about my best moment, it was a show in Delhi where the crowd was small and what felt like a private show and we ended up playing our set twice! I remember being lost in the gig and being really in tune with my bandmates! 😇 

Collectively, my memory of this incident is so inclusive and powerful compared to the other. Obviously, this does not permit me to be sloppy but it just takes the pressure off the mindset with which I approach my practice routine. And that impacted my commitment to the practice routine immensely.

Anyway I have rambled on quite a bit in this email so I will now skip to the good stuff! But as I write this, it is a reminder to myself to be patient with the results of my practice and focus on the development of my craft. I am in constant admiration of the amount of incredible music there is out there to discover and learn from and I am so stoked to be on this journey!

And now, here are all my recommendations for this week!

Quote of the week 🍀

Current Favorites! ❤️

Book:  "How to Listen to Jazz" by Ted Gioia is an insightful guide that demystifies the intricacies of jazz for both novices and enthusiasts. Gioia's engaging writing breaks down the elements of jazz, from its history to the nuances of improvisation, offering readers a richer appreciation for the genre. With a blend of musical analysis and storytelling, the book is a valuable companion for anyone eager to deepen their understanding and enjoyment of jazz music. If you’d like to read my book summaries, follow this link! 😁 

Podcast: Roman Mars describes as it is. You can listen to the episode here 🥰 

Song: The Dichotomy of Fame - A R Rahman. This is an absolute masterpiece from one of the greatest music composers of our time. Written as an improv piece to be included as part of the motion picture soundtrack, this track stands out from the overall sound. It also incorporates the “shehnai” alongside the guitar. It is one of the most unique songs I have ever heard! If you would like to listen to more in depth analysis of songs and some of my absolute favorites curated into my own personal radio-show-esque format, give this episode of Spotify Music+Talk a listen! 🎵 😁 

I hope you have a great week and are having great start to the new year! 🥰 

Ameyaxoxo

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