Practice Makes Permanent

The principle of "Practice Makes Permanent" highlights the importance of deliberate and accurate practice on your dulcimer. Unlike the saying "practice makes perfect," which implies you will enjoy flawless execution if you just repeat the tune enough times, "practice makes permanent" underscores the truth that the quality of your practice time will determine the actual outcome.

When you repeatedly practice a skill or behavior, you reinforce neural pathways in your brain associated with that activity. This repetition forms habits and tendencies that become ingrained over time.

Because of this, the effectiveness of practicing your instrument lies not just in its frequency but also in its quality. Mindful, focused practice that targets specific weaknesses or areas for improvement is more likely to lead to positive outcomes than mindless repetition. Each practice session should be purposeful, stopping to correct technical issues or measures where you are making mistakes.

Conclusion

Approach your dulcimer practice with intentionality, ensuring that your efforts will lead to the correct rendition of the tune. Be careful that you don’t repeat your mistakes over and over or else they’ll soon be a habit set in concrete in your mind and will be difficult to correct later on. You won’t play it perfectly right away. But keep on keepin’ on with your best effort because, … Practice Makes Progress.

Happy dulcimering,
Linda