Playing Music is like riding a bicycle, you never really forget

Time to tell a story about my own musical journey—and share something I recently discovered that made me think about why learning an instrument can stay with us, even after we take a break.

Several years ago, I found a mandolin at a music store, and I was completely enamored with it.

I thought the instrument was so unique. I loved its shape, its eight strings arranged in pairs, and, most of all, its sound. I had always loved listening to folk and bluegrass music, so the mandolin already had a special place in my musical world.

Several months later, my husband surprised me with an electric-acoustic mandolin.

I was so excited to play it.

I spent hours practicing my first chords. When a string eventually broke, I watched a video, learned how to change it myself, and felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. I wasn't just learning how to play the mandolin—I was learning how to take care of it, too.

So I played and played.

And then life got busy.

My schedule became more demanding, and I simply couldn't find the time I needed to keep practicing. Eventually, the mandolin ended up hanging on the wall, collecting dust.

Until last week.

I was scrolling through some old photos and videos when I found a video I had recorded several years ago of myself singing and playing "Ring of Fire"—the June Carter Cash version.

I was surprised.

I sounded pretty good!

And almost immediately, I had the urge to find out something:

Could I still play it?

So I picked up my mandolin. And guess what? I could.

Maybe not perfectly. Maybe I had to think about it a little more than I did back then. But the chords were still there. My fingers remembered where they were supposed to go. The song wasn't gone.

It was just waiting for me.

And that's when I started thinking about the kids who come to music lessons, learn the basics, and then take a break.

Maybe their schedule gets busy. Maybe they decided they wanted to try something else. Maybe they took lessons with another teacher and it just wasn't the right fit.

And then, months—or even years—later, their parents wonder: Is it too late to start again? Will they remember anything? Do we have to start all over?

I don't believe that to be the case :).

And there's actually some interesting science behind why. Once you've learned, you may not forget as much as you think.

Me and my Mandolin.

It's not really "muscle memory"—but it feels like it

We often call this "muscle memory," but technically, the muscles aren't actually storing the memory.

What we're talking about is closer to procedural memory and motor learning—the way our brains and nervous systems learn repeated movements and sequences through practice.

And music is a perfect example.

When you practice an instrument over and over, you're not simply memorizing information. You're building connections between what you hear, what you see, and what your hands and fingers do.

Over time, those movements can become much more automatic.

That's why you can sometimes pick up an instrument after a long break and discover that your fingers seem to know what to do before you have consciously thought about every single movement.

There is research behind this, too.

Studies of musicians have found evidence that musical training—particularly when it begins early in life—is associated with lasting differences in the brain systems involved in motor control, auditory processing, and sensorimotor coordination. One study comparing musicians who began training before age seven with those who started later found that the early-trained musicians performed better on a timed motor-sequence task, even when the groups were matched for their years of training and current practice.

Other research has found differences in brain structures involved in connecting sound and movement among people who began musical training at a young age.

That doesn't mean that a child can take ten years off from piano lessons and come back playing exactly the way they did before.

They may forget songs. They may forget scales.They may have to rebuild their finger strength and coordination. And they may need some time to get their confidence back.

But the foundation they built through all those hours of practice isn't necessarily erased.

The musical notes will stay with you....

So what does this mean if your child took music lessons and then stopped?

First, it means you probably don't need to assume that they're starting completely from scratch.

They may not remember every song they learned. They may have forgotten some notes, fingerings, or exercises. And they may need a little time to get comfortable with the instrument again.

That's completely normal.

But those first lessons still gave them an introduction to the instrument. They began learning how to hold it, how to make sounds, how to coordinate their hands, and how to connect what they hear with what they see and do.

Those experiences can give them a foundation to build on when they return.

When a student comes to my studio after taking a break, I don't expect them to remember everything. Instead, we take some time to see what they remember, what feels familiar, and what needs a little refreshing.

Sometimes a student surprises themselves—and me—with how much comes back. Other times, we have to spend a little time rebuilding those first skills.

Either way, we're not starting from nothing. We're starting from where they are now.

And that's an important distinction.

If you're a parent wondering whether it's worth bringing your child back to an instrument because

they took a break, don't let the gap in lessons discourage you.

They may be much closer to getting back on that bicycle than you think.

If you're thinking about bringing your child back to music, this is exactly where private lessons can help.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Easy. Give me a call or send me an email, and let's talk about your child. Tell me where they left off and what they were working on, and together we'll figure out what they remember, refresh what they've forgotten, and build from there.

They may remember more than you think. Let's get them back on that bicycle.