Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing

by Molly Gebrian

Practicing is an essential part of every musician's life, but we are rarely taught how to practice in the most effective and efficient way. Many of us find ourselves frustrated when we sound good in the practice room only to embarrass ourselves on stage or in front of our teachers. We feel overwhelmed by the amount of music we have to learn, unsure how to balance everything. Playing from memory can feel terrifying and an insurmountable challenge, and overcoming bad habits can seem impossible at times.

Molly Gebrian applies the science of learning and memory to practicing and performing, giving musicians the tools to learn music more effectively and experience greater confidence on stage. Researchers working in the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience have discovered many important principles about how the brain learns new information, retains this information both short- and long-term, and how to make this learning reliable in high-pressure situations like performances. Musicians often choose practice strategies that don't align well with the optimal ways in which the brain learns, leading to frustration while practicing and inconsistency in performance. The author offers a practical guide, using accessible language for non-scientists and non-academics, to help musicians get more out of their practicing by applying this research. Gebrian starts with general principles of learning and how the brain works, and then progresses through increasingly specific topics. Throughout the book, the science behind the various topics is explained in layman's terms, accompanied by practical, actionable advice that can be implemented immediately, to give musicians of all levels better tools while practicing and greater confidence on stage.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Joelle McNulty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book about the neuroscience behind music practicing. It's not just scientific studies, it's also practical tips for how to implement it. Excellent material! Definitely good information for musicians or musicians' parents to help them with their practice. The author is a violist/violinist but she does have tips for other instruments as well. I will be going back to this resource for sure. Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Karl Styrsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve studied much of what has been written about the “science of learning” and human potential, and this has by far been the best in terms of practical application to practicing music! Well organized, a great balance between research and the practice, and entertaining to boot. Especially important is that Dr. Gebrian has experimented with and tested the techniques for years both in her own and her students’ studies.

There is so much here, I especially appreciate the appendices that summarize every technique presented and offer other strategies for multiple types of instruments. Dr. Gebrian, herself, acknowledges the volume of information may be a bit overwhelming and offers advice on how to put it all together. Her final motivating words that there is value to testing even a few of the ideas and slowly adding to them was most comforting.

Well beyond a read-once-put-on-the-shelf book, it is clearly designed for regular reference for its readers to continually improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their musical practice.

[Justin Ochoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

should be standard reading for every music school. they should have a whole course dedicated to this

[Crystal Mendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required for all music schools and for any serious musician! Very well researched and presented, and comes with practical practice schedules and tips to make practicing more efficient and effective.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seems to be an invaluable guide for making your practice sessions more effective and efficient with the end result of playing better. Each strategy is backed with neuroscience studies and practical applications of each study are provided. Looking forward to putting these strategies to the test!

[Simon Proulx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves to be an essential read for all musicians transitioning from high school to university (or hopefully before).

When you arrive at a postsecondary institution, the comparison game inevitably begins. You see people practicing 8 hours, folks who only practice with metronomes, who have tuners in front of them every single rehearsal. Sometimes you adopt these methods because those musicians are people who you admire or think you need to compete with. You would think that in doing these things, you will become a better musician.

This book dispels so many common practice habits and myths adopted by university students. It provides clear advice with how to go about practicing different skills and EXPLAINS why these methods work for your brain. I am personally lucky to have worked with educators who have used many of the strategies described in this book, but having the underlying information of why it works is the piece of the puzzle that always seemed to be missing for me. Gebrian draws on a lot of sports neuroscience, but the applications of these findings go beyond music and sport, even providing helpful tips for studying academic subjects.

If every music student read this book even once, I would envision a culture of music-making that is much more intentional, that aligns with our natural cycles of work and rest, and that would instill more passion and encouragement into our purpose as artists.

[Sarah Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a scientifically-minded person with a musical hobby, this book was right up my street. It did not disappoint. There are many fascinating studies that can inform music practice and Molly has done a brilliant job of bringing it all together in this book. The book is extremely well-written and thought through, with a good balance of detail on the studies themselves and pulling out what it means for music practice, with lots of practical examples.
It seems to be aimed at students in the classical tradition, but anyone learning an instrument in any genre can gain helpful insights and ideas to help their practice.

[Ekmef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much more useful than The Practice Revolution! There's lots of good and applicable advice in here. As a physician scientist I wasn't always convinced by the graphs (eg when differences between groups were small with no statistics shown) but that doesn't really matter to me. What matters is the excellent advice! It's already transforming the way I practice.

The advice on mental practicing was also really nice. I have ME so thinking can, in fact, be harmful. But mental practice really helps me to get the most out of my time behind my harp. It was nice to find lots of tips to refine my mental practice.

[JackPlaysViola · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest books on learning and practicing. Tons of research evidence and ideas that I’m so excited to use now. Every musician should pick this book up and give it a read if you don’t want to continue wasting your time in the practice room.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Molly's research so much! She's able to break down difficult concepts in a way that makes so much sense, and that makes the difference when learning music. Everyone should read this.

[Alison Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All hail Molly Gebrian and her incredible brain 🙌

[Mary T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars if I can get some of these ideas to work for me.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm not going to write a long review. my brain is tired and overwhelmed with information and i'm hungry. i just do not have the energy.

HOWEVER.

what i am going to say is that i am beyond grateful to my guitar teacher for telling me about this book, because only a few days ago i started to use some of the techniques outlined in this book, and already the difference is insane. legitimately i would tell every musician i ever meet to read this, even if they're already familiar with it, because i know SO many people who don't practice well and fixing their habits would just improve their playing and their happiness level so quickly.

only a couple of criticisms; gebrian is from the classical world, and so obviously her perspective isn't going to match everyone's. however, she still manages to create a book that is very applicable to a large swath of areas - and not just within music. i've recommended this to a non-music friend because of how i applied some of the skills when i was learning to drive the last two weeks. it works.

also, as stated in the introduction, gebrian has no experience with neurodivergence, and so there are certain methods here that are catered to the neurotypical brain. i am VERY autistic and probably adhd too but i'm realising that doesn't matter as much as i thought it did. what this book aims to do is show you about your brain and then apply certain methods so you learn how to learn. every method is scientifically approved, but what it needs to be first and foremost is something that will work for your brain, neurotypical or otherwise. i know there are things about focus in autistic books and adhd books that will help me more than what's in this one because of knowing the way my brain is wired, but even then, a lot of this is still useful because of the philosophy behind it. even (maybe especially) to my audhd & various neurodivergent friends, this book is getting recommended so fast - along with the range of neurodivergent self-help books to boost the learning.

i have a feeling i'm going to need to reread this book to fully integrate everything that was mentioned, because on first read through, i felt like i only truly picked up about 40% at maximum. the writing is not hard to understand, just that some parts of it are harder to grasp than others. it's fine though, because i have a strong feeling this will become my holy grail as i learn how to actually learn. thank you gebrian, i'm so excited to talk to all of my teachers about this book. starting with my guitar teacher in about 5 hours.

[Lissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and accessible book for musicians young and old to up their practicing game. Gebrian gives insight into how our brains work and how we can better train them to improve our abilities within a musical context. It is very comprehensive and I have many new practicing strategies to try out!
I wish I had had access to this book when I first started college, but it’s never too late to learn. I think this is an essential guide for all serious musicians to read at least once in their career and I will be recommending it to my students as well as sharing some of the strategies in the book in their lessons. I can’t recommend enough!

[Jaclyn Nam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good I want to shut my mouth and gatekeep it. Gebrian has found the cheat codes to practicing and explains them so neatly and understandably in this book, along with scientific evidence, experiments, and practical advice. And as if that is not enough, she provides an index of all of the “good” practice methods + bonus rhythms + bonus schedules… AND her YouTube channel is full of video examples and explanations… this book is never leaving my oboe bag. And I PROMISE no one is paying me to advertise this book. It is just that good.

[Sarah Pizzichemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an invaluable resource for performers, music teachers, and anyone looking to make their practice time more efficient and effective. I’ve followed and recommended Dr. Molly Gebrian’s work for years, and have consistently seen excellent results from applying her advice. This book is no exception; it will have a permanent place on the front shelf of the bookcase in my studio, and I’ll be recommending it to students and colleagues alike!

[Jason Cady · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some helpful information in this book on how to practice. The author's myopic perspective made it less interesting than it should have been. The author only discusses Classical music, and mostly focuses on viola and strings. She seemed to lack curiosity about the wider world of music and performance practice.

[Ben Gerkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on brain-friendly practicing I have ever read. It perfectly condenses all the noteworthy research in a concise, easy-to-digest way. So many invaluable suggestions and strategies. I believe I’ll be assigning this to my students for years to come!

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of information on this book is easy to understand. Majority of teachers already know these practices, and have already suggested to pupils in lessons in the past. It is now interesting to have the Scientific Researched to back it up on why it worked.

[Kurt Eide · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t read this book, you probably don’t know how to practice.

I for sure didn’t. This is filled with concepts, strategies, and techniques that have revolutionized my practice.

[Jmmaher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting techniques to better learn music and performance skills, some relevant to harp some not but still very different than the usual idea of hours of practice!

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

This was a bit more thorough and academic than what I expected.
I found some good tips summarized at the back of the book.

[aprilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting

[Ayris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents awesome evidence-based tips for more effective practice! The appendices summarize these tips -- a super-helpful, practical resource.

The diagrams of the brain regions should be edited to all face the same direction. As they are, they're a bit confusing.