If you've watched any sports - especially golf, basketball, and tennis - you've probably noticed that many athletes have a pre-shot, pre-free throw, or pre-serve ritual that they go through before performing that skill.

Many musicians have rituals too, even if it's as simple as wiping your hands on your pants or hearing the opening of a piece to get the tempo in mind before you begin playing.

Athletes' routines tend to be very consistent, and don't change from game to game or shot to shot. But how important is it to keep your routine consistent? Does it matter how long the routine takes, or whether the ingredients of your routine remain the same from one performance to the next?

Get all the nerdy details here:
How Consistent Do Pre-Performance Routines Need to Be?

More from The Bulletproof Musician

• Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
• Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
• Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
• Live and self-paced courses