But Gould was a once-in-a-century musical genius; surely mere mortals can't follow his example, right? Actually, research shows that mental rehearsal improves performance almost as well as physical practice, even for beginners. When combined with just a little bit of physical practice, the gap between mental and physical practice narrows even further.
Read MoreMost of the troubles start when students have to count a syncopation. Syncopation in general is not a challenge – usually the student plays a syncopation, just the wrong one.
Read MoreOf all the skills that students learn in lessons, practicing itself is the most important. Yet so often we forget that practicing is a skill that can be developed and strengthened. Lots of students get told to practice more, but not to practice better.
Read More