Myelination: The Secret to Learning
Have you ever wondered what happens in your brain when you learn? In previous articles, we covered neuroplasticity, which is the gradual strengthening of synapses as you solidify a memory or skill. This process is widely understood to be the result of two changes: first, neurons begin firing more neurotransmitters, and second, neurons gain more receptors to receive the increased amount of neurotransmitters.
However, neuroplasticity isn’t limited to these two changes. Just as your neurons are increasing the number of neurotransmitters released and received, they’re also increasing in myelination, allowing signals to flow more efficiently through your neural pathways. In other words, your brain’s processing speed increases, allowing you to learn complex motor skills [1] — like playing an instrument!
But to start, what is myelination?
Myelination is the process of wrapping axons (the long fiber that extends from the neuron body and carries electrical signals to other neurons) in glial cells, which are specialized cells in the brain. These glial cells wrap around axons in sections, leaving small open spaces — known as nodes of ranvier — along the length of the axon. When the myelinated neuron sends out an electrical signal, the signal “jumps” along each of these nodes, allowing it to travel much faster compared to an unmyelinated neuron. [2]
Though the reason is not yet clearly understood, the wrapping of these glial cells is essential to learning new motor skills. In one study, scientists genetically modified a group of mice to no longer be able to create new glial cells essential for myelination. This group of mice was unable to learn how to effectively run on a complex running wheel, while the control group of mice — which were able to create new glial cells — successfully learned how to use the complex running wheel. [1]
As musicians, our task is also to learn complex motor skills — lots of them. Whether it’s perfecting a shift, improving the clarity of a scale, or learning a new bowing technique, there are countless physical skills involved in playing an instrument.
So how can we take advantage of our brain’s natural processes to increase the efficiency of our learning? Well, one very important understanding is that our brains are always myelinating — regardless of if we want to be learning or not. Therefore, if you make a mistake, your brain is also myelinating that specific pathway, and your body is learning how to keep making the mistake. Of course, on the other hand, if you play something correctly, your brain will myelinate the correct pathway.
But when you play something both correctly and incorrectly around the same number of times, your brain will myelinate both pathways. And once it’s time to play on stage, there’s a good chance you’ll end up repeating your mistake.
The solution? To myelinate the correct pathway much more than the incorrect pathway. Repetition is important, but most importantly, you need to be mindful and consistent. Set a goal of playing a passage perfectly five times in a row. If you have three unsuccessful attempts, that’s three repetitions of the wrong pathway — get at least three (but preferably many more!) more perfect repetitions to strengthen the correct pathway.
At the end of the day, you want your best playing to show on stage. And for that, playing correctly must be easier for your brain than playing incorrectly. So focus on getting intentional, consistent, and correct repetitions, and allow your brain to myelinate and strengthen your good habits!
Citations
Long, P., & Corfas, G. (2014). Neuroscience: To learn is to myelinate. Science, 346(6207), 298–299. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261127
ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Myelination. Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/myelination
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2026, January 22). Progenitor cells in the brain constantly attempt to produce new myelin-producing brain cells. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2026/01/progenitor-cells-in-the-brain-constantly-attempt-to-produce-new-myelin-producing-brain-cells
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