16 students belonging to four different academic levels had their initial practice of a piece by Franz Schubert recorded in audio and video. Each participant engaged in two experimental sessions, in two different conditions of sensory deprivation, both involving the deprivation of external auditory feedback. Condition A (simulated mental practice) involved the deprivations of piano and score and Condition B consisted of the practice in an electric piano that was turned off. Data that were generated, consisting of audio and video registers of the practice sessions, were analyzed aiming to identify what practice behaviors were employed during the participants’ practice as well as quantifying these behaviors so as to understand changes in how practice was approached as a function of each experienced condition. Results suggest that the simulated mental practice led the participants to approach smaller segments, with greater incidences of mistakes as participants approached bigger structural lengths of material. On the other hand, Condition B privileged the practice of bigger segments. Taken together, results indicate that mental practice propitiates the approach of smaller segments (what also makes it more fruitful), providing evidence for the management of memory-related aspects in this modality of practice.
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