There’s a question I hear all the time:
“How do I know if what I’m practicing is actually making me better?”
The question usually appears when progress feels slow or a new concept isn’t landing right away. Or when working on a challenging piece or concept for a while, and it feels like treading water.
It’s a fair question – and one I’ve asked myself: is this even working?
Here’s what I’ve learned – both from my own practice and watching hundreds of students grow:
If your practice is built on intention, repetition, and awareness, it’s working.
Even when it doesn’t feel like it.
If you’re staying present – tracking what you’re working on, listening closely, slowing it down, noticing the little details – you’re laying bricks.
And those bricks build a foundation. Even when it feels messy.
What doesn’t usually work?
👎 Mindless noodling
👎 Practicing things you already do well
👎 Playing the same thing over and over while tuning out
Those moments have their place too – they are fun! But they don’t build anything new.
So how do you know it’s working?
You notice small shifts:
👍 You feel the subdivision clearly, it is grooving and you know it
👍 A fingering that was awkward feels easier
👍 You start to hear things you used to guess at
👍 You’re not lost in the form – you’re riding it
Progress doesn’t always show up as a big moment. Sometimes it’s just that quiet “huh” after a phrase lands better than yesterday.
That counts.
So if you’re asking yourself, “Is this doing anything?”
Try this instead:
If the answer’s yes – even to one of those – then yes, it’s working!
Want help sticking to that kind of practice?
Then check out our Cohorts!
A cohort means you go through one of our courses (in this case the Rhythm Matrix Course) with:
✅ Peer support
✅ A dedicated accountability coach
✅ Weekly video assignments
✅ Live feedback sessions with me
Here are two of the many tools we use in our cohorts to make sure your practice is actually making you better:
🎥 Tool one:
You’ll record your practice at regular intervals and post it.
The act of recording helps you stay present, listen closely, and reflect.
Combine that with the feedback you’ll receive, and your progress becomes real – and visible.
🧑💻 Tool two:
Each time you submit a video, we ask you to state your intention.
This simple act sharpens your focus, strengthens your mindset, and helps flush out unproductive self-talk.
It turns practice into something more effective – and more personal.
Check out what Cohorts we have scheduled. They only run at certain times during the year.
With groove,
Ari
