Well, it’s that time of year again when New Year’s resolutions start to surface and as a practicing musician, you’re probably just starting to think about new ways of how to improve the ‘quality’ your practice regime.  If you are 100% happy with your bass playing and musicianship skills, then don’t read any further.  But…if you are looking for new ways to improve the value of your practice habits, then read on!

Neuro science has finally realised that our brains are capable of change.  The brain is very flexible and pliable- just like plastic.  In Neuroscience speak this is called Neuroplasticity.  Now hold on!  Before you start asking me, “How does knowing anything about Neuroplasticity going to improve my bass playing or general musicianship skills?”  Then let Uncle Hubb explain a few things first.

The brain is much like a power grid with many neural pathways contained within the overall grid.  Each one of these ‘pathways’ fires or lights up every time we think, feel or do something. When we repeat a specific thought, feeling or action numerous times, all those individual pathways associated with those tasks are strengthened with something called Myelin.  Myelin works as an insulator, kind of like duct tape wrapped around a pipe and each time a task is repeated, the Myelin keeps wrapping and strengthening those neural pathways.

The problem that exists and this directly relates to your improvement as a bass player and musician, is that the brain can’t recognise between good and bad practice habits- it only responds to what you repeatedly do.  With that said, if you are practicing incorrectly- the brain will hardwire all those bad habits again and again.  So, if you practice something incorrectly 50 times in every key, then your brain is more likely to default to that bad habit, resulting with playing the wrong thing.

The good news is that your brain can be re-wired and this can be applied successfully to instrumental technique, along with all the hard and soft skills that we need to become better bass players.  Sometimes, we need to ‘unlearn’ something, before we can learn a new concept of playing successfully.  It doesn’t matter how old you are either- the brain can change regardless, just as long as you want that change to occur.

The key to getting better is determined by the ‘quality’ of your practice.  I outline many of these concepts, 61 to be exact in my new book, How to Practice with Maximum Efficiency.  There are numerous explanations of how Neuroplasticity can help you to become a better, stronger a more intelligent musician.  I cover these concepts in-depth across a wide-range of practice topics in this book. I also explain what to look for in a good teacher and what to avoid.  If you are looking to for new ways to increase the quality within your practice regime in the New Year, then CLICK HERE NOW and start taking your bass playing and musicianship skills one step beyond!

Peace Out

Joe