Why are different kinds of learning so differently compressible?
If I can work through a textbook in 20 1-hour sittings, I usually get similar results from 10 2-hour or 5 4-hour sessions. But piano isn’t that way at all: a 20x1hr piece simply can’t be learned in 5 sessions IME.
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One explanation might be that when learning piano pieces, successive sessions rely heavily on previous sessions having been consolidated, whereas many “book-learning” topics are somewhat more breadth-shaped.
Another might be that some tasks drain attention faster.
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Other examples of learning which don’t seem to compress very well:
– learning how to draw
– learning how to design user interfaces
– learning how to write
Ones which seem to compress well:
– learning how to cook
– learning a new programming language
– learning a spoken language
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Haven't read all of the responses, but I'd argue that programming, language learning, and cooking give you quick feedback as to whether you did it write or wrong, without the need for a more experienced teacher to tell you.
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Ah, that’s a good insight! One tricky bit, though, is that studying piano repertoire also produces very quick feedback, but it seems highly incompressible.
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Aside from music, what you list are all primarily cognitive activities...
I wonder if music should be evaluated differently bc so much of it is ab bodily coordination? Which seems like it just always takes time regardless of feedback. (Viz. lots of sports here.)
Interesting q!
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