The quickest way to Carnegie Hall is to practice, practice, practice...

As musicians, we know how practice is an essential ingredient for musical success. The efficiency of our practice is defined by how we think about the task, about ourselves and our performance, as well as the amount of time we spend practicing [3].

To become autonomous learners, we need to learn to balance the effortful components of practice with our own thoughts, feelings, and actions as we seek to achieve our goals [2].

There is an existent social-cognitive model [2] that explains this interaction between our capacity to plan, set goals, and imagine future success with our capacity to reflect on our actions, thoughts and feelings and adjusting them to our goals. This model is called Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)[2]. It explains how individuals learn through self-observation, self-judgement and self-reaction.

There is three phases in this model, a Forethought Phase in which we analyze the task that we are about to complete and that relies on our self-motivational beliefs. Then, a Performance Phase, in which we apply various self-control and self-observational skills to aid focused attention and willpower. And finally, a Self-Reflective Phase, an assessment of how well the performance went, in which self-judgements and self-reactions are formed that then impact the planning of our next practice session [1].

A recent study [1] have introduced the concept of Microanalysis, a SRL assessment technique which targets reciprocal interactions between the person (including his or her thoughts, feelings and actions) and environmental factors of the situation. 

Within music, studies on practice are still scarce compared to other academic subjects and sports [1]. Now researchers have adapted this approach on musical skill development assuming that those music students that perceive themselves to be more self-regulated and efficient in their practice also tend to display more determination to accomplish short- and long-term goals, experience flow while practicing and exhibit thoughtfulness and self-awareness while practicing [2]. By complementing traditional practice strategies (such as slowing and repetition) with SRL music practice instruction (such as goal-selection, planning, self-evaluation and reflection) performance achievement in music student practice has shown to significantly improve [1].

Microanalysis: the tool to improve practice efficiency

The process of Microanalysis in the practice session has different phases:

First of all, select a well-defined task, such as a music practice session.

Then, identify SRL processes. These are different in each phase. Take a look at this image to understand the processes in each phase.

The third step would be to develop SRL microanalytic questions, which are different in each phase.

In the Forethought phase:

Identify your technical, musical and personal goals. Are your plans fixed or flexible? Are they clear?. Also, rate your beliefs in self-efficacy from a 0 to 100% confidence.

In the Performance phase:

After finishing your practice session compare this practice session to an excellent practice session in the past. Think about:

How structured it was, the level and quality of your focus, and the strategies you were employing and evaluate to which degree you would seek for help (e.g., from your teacher).

In the next practice sessions evaluate how helpful external resources were (e.g., your teacher, peers, books, recordings).

Also, record your practice session and watch or listen it back. Identify moments where decisions led to strategies, their consequences and your thought processes while learning.

In the Self-Reflection phase:

Evaluate whether your practice session was productive and fulfilling of the goals you set in the first phase. Think about to what extent your performance was product of your own strategies or other resources, and the degree to which they were predictable or not.

Evaluate how good you felt in your practice and how optimistic you felt abut your next practice session, how well do you think it will go?

By asking yourself these questions in different moments of your practice you are developing your own way of assessing your practice. 

In the beginning is going to be an effortful process, but with time, these questions will become a habit and you will develop learning habits, strategies and abilities that work for you. Little by little you will become more autonomous in your learning by becoming more aware of your own practice efficiency.

This post it is a summary of this study:

McPherson, G. E., Osborne, M. S., Evans, P., & Miksza, P. (2019). Applying self-regulated learning microanalysis to study musicians' practice. Psychology of Music, 47(1), 18-32.