Master the Basics

If you want to learn a hard skill and perform better than the average, then consider mastering the basics.

In his class, Tony, a trumpet teacher, asked his students to play a basic warm-up exercise. The exercise is way easier than the stylish pieces they already know how to play. They sounded good. After the students played, Tony grabbed his trumpet and started playing the same phrase.

Edward Burger, author of 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, who was present at Tony's class said:

"Each note was a rich, delightful sound. He gave the small phrase a delicate shape, revealing a flowing sense of dynamics that enabled us to hear meaning in those simple notes."

Tony showed the students the power of mastering simple pieces. “Mastering an efficient nuanced performance,” Tony said, “allows one to play spectacularly difficult pieces with greater control and artistry."

"Deep work on simple, basic ideas helps to build true virtuosity - not just in music but in everything."

***

I remember the story shared by a friend:

Many years ago a reporter asked the former star of Miami Heat, Dwayne Wade, about his impossible, acrobatic layups.

"Do you train for those moves?" the reporter asked.

Dwayne's answer sounded something like this:

"Oh, no. No. I don't practice those moves. I just master the drills, the basic drills. And suddenly I'm able to use them when needed in an actual game. You can't practice for acrobatic moves."

By doing the basic drills over and over again, Dwayne has developed a strong muscle memory, an improved feel for the game. His sharpened instincts allowed his body to adjust from his opponents' defense, pulling the best choices from his arsenal.

We're only as good as how we practice.

So if we want to be better at any skill - singing, shooting a basketball, studying for exams, writing, and so on - it helps if we spend some time mastering the basics. First, we break down the whole skill into its tiny components. Then we choose one and practice it every day, repeating the process until we cover the whole list.

And as we practice the basics more, we'll see improvements when we perform the skill as a whole.