A former student reminded me last week of my response when she asked in a theory lesson, “Is there a shortcut to learning the order of sharp keys?”
Sure, there’s a shortcut. Just memorize it. GDAEBF#C#
Repeat 100 times. Repeat 1,000 times. (Skip the #s and you can repeat it once per second.) GDAEBF#C#
A week or two of repetitions and you’ll have it lodged firmly in your brain.
There are many concepts with helpful shortcuts, patterns to notice and use to our advantage.
But there are lots of things that you learn faster by using your prodigious human memory and good old repetition.
We have been taught to abhor rote learning in favor of understanding. In my experience, learning by repetition is a precursor to understanding – whether for the nature of keys, times tables, or even poetry. Memorize some poetry and then turn it over in your head – I guarantee that you’ll spend more time learning what it means after it’s permanently lodged in your brain.
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