Muscle Memory

This information is from Randy Torno in the Sept. issue of "Silver Strings."

Learning to play any instrument is a curious blend of intellectual and mechanical skills. No matter how advanced your knowledge of music theory may be, if your brain can’t get your fingers to perform the way they are asked to, you will never be able to successfully play the instrument. Certainly, some people are born with more coordination than others over the small twitchy hand muscles that make playing possible.

Muscle memory plays a great part in our ability to play an instrument, however if your biomechanics are getting in the way, then you will never be able to progress past a certain point. Muscle memory is gained by repeating a movement so many times that the neurons controlling the muscles are actually firing faster than we can consciously think about them. However if the action we are repeating is biomechanically incorrect, then what the muscles are learning will be self-defeating.

As an example, if the position of the fretting hand is incorrect, as we try and increase speed the natural tendency is to increase the amount of pressure that we are applying to the fretting finger. As we increase pressure, we will begin to use more of the thick forearm muscles, which will override the fine twitchy finger muscles, and the player will hit a wall in terms of progress. I have often heard as an instructor “I know every note in this piece, and can play it perfectly, but as soon as I start to speed up I fall apart”. The reason…biomechanics.

Keep on Pickin'

Angie
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