Gary Halbert and John Carlton, two master marketers, were listening to Dickie Betts at a concert. Gary, knowing that John had worked professionally as a guitar player, turned to him and asked, “How does he do that?” Meaning, how can Dickie Betts create his incredible musical lines and ideas seemingly on the fly while playing?

John answered simply, “Ten Thousand hours.” His concise, and even cryptic, remark asserts that if you practice three hours a day for almost ten years, you will reach a very high level of musicianship and performance.

There have been only a few stretches of months in my life that saw me practicing three hours a day. My freshman year of college stands out.

Even when I was preparing some major pieces for my master’s degree recital, I only practiced about two hours a day. My impression is that practicing three hours a day for twenty days may be more effective than two hours a day for thirty days. There is an intensity factor that multiplies your effort.

How much time you put in and how well you practice are the determining factors in how fast you progress.

How well you practice means three things. 1. You practice good left and right hand technique. 2. You use your practice time wisely and efficiently. 3. You have a positive and empowering mind set while you practice.

And, while we’re going on in this way, check out The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. He goes into this whole picture very scientifically and in great depth. Plus, it’s a good read.