Why "Something New Each Week" Kills Progress (And What Actually Works)

The other day, I asked a student which they'd prefer: something new every week or actual progress on their current work.

After a brief pause, they replied, "Make progress." They also added, "I'd get angry with each week being new because it'd feel like starting over."

That moment confirmed I was on the right track. While alternative teaching methods have their merits, there's value in learning from the "something-new-each-week" approach.

The Problem with "Something New Each Week"

Here's what I've noticed about this approach:

• Week 1: Learn a new groove
• Week 2: Learn a new fill
• Week 3: Learn a different technique
• Week 4: Try a new song
• Week 5: Return to grooves, but a completely different one

The logic behind this is to keep lessons fresh, maintain student engagement and prevent boredom.

However, the result is students learning disconnected information without truly mastering any of it.

Sure, they might be able to play 20 different grooves, know 10 fills and a couple of techniques, but the real issue is they haven't truly learned anything.

It's not progress; it's just novelty.

My student confirmed this by expressing anger. They felt like they weren't improving and were simply accumulating surface-level knowledge that didn't stick.

What Students Actually Want: Progression

With my students, I want them to feel like they're getting better at something specific and going deeper.

They want to work on something that helps them achieve their goals, which are mostly to play songs. Of course, there will be challenges, but the overall satisfaction of actually improving is what we're aiming for. It just takes time to begin with, but that's progress.

And progress requires something some might avoid: staying with material long enough to overcome plateaus.

How Plateaus Actually Work (And Why Most Teachers Avoid Them)

Plateaus occur when students reach a point where they're not making progress. Most teachers avoid them because they can be frustrating and demotivating. However, plateaus are a natural part of learning and can actually be beneficial if approached correctly.

To overcome plateaus, teachers can try the following strategies:

• Provide more challenging material: If students are stuck, teachers can increase the difficulty of the material they're working on. This can help students push themselves and overcome their limitations.

• Encourage self-reflection: Teachers can encourage students to reflect on their progress and identify areas where they need to improve. This can help students take ownership of their learning and make more informed decisions about how to improve.

• Provide positive reinforcement: Teachers can provide positive reinforcement to students when they overcome plateaus. This can help students feel motivated and encouraged to continue learning.

• Offer support and guidance: Teachers can offer support and guidance to students when they're struggling to overcome plateaus. This can help students feel less alone and more confident in their abilities.

By implementing these strategies, teachers can help students overcome plateaus and continue to progress in their learning.

Here's the uncomfortable truth about learning: plateaus are where real growth happens.

When you're working on something and hit a ceiling – that moment when progress stalls and everything feels stuck – it's not pleasant. However, I teach my students that it's a natural part of the process.

It's meant to happen!

It's just inconvenient and annoying -.-

At the beginning of my teaching career, I might have panicked and thought, "The student is bored. I need to give them something new to keep them engaged." But this approach didn't work and I could see it immediately. It's better to adapt to some degree but not completely go off course.

It's the exact moment you should lock in, not back off.

Plateau's are actually a good thing, despite the negative connotations. Here's what's actually happening during a plateau:

Your brain is consolidating the skills you've acquired and your body has built the necessary neuromuscular pathways. You're on the brink of a breakthrough but you must go backwards. This isn't because you're failing; it's essential for rebuilding the foundations on stronger ones.

If you switch to something new, you throw all that consolidation away and start from scratch. You never break through; you just keep hitting surface-level plateaus in different areas.

The Baseline/Peak Method: How to Actually Break Plateaus

Here's the approach I use with students when they hit a plateau.

Imagine you're working on double-kick speed. You've been pushing your peak tempo to 140bpm and you can play it but there's tension and some twitching. It doesn't feel clean.

Step 1: Find Your True Baseline BPM

Go back down in tempo. Not to where it's easy – to where it's effortless.

No tension. No twitching. Complete control.

For most people, when they think their peak is 140bpm, their true baseline (zero tension, perfect control) is actually much lower than that. The number will vary significantly, but for now let's just say it's around 110-115bpm.

That's your foundation. That's where you can play with complete relaxation and consistency.

Step 2: Build Range Gradually (Overlapping Windows)

Instead of immediately returning to 140bpm, systematically build your range.

Week 1: Focus on the 110-120bpm range.

Play multiple sets at each tempo to build endurance and solidify control.

Week 2: Shift the window up to 115-125bpm.

• Notice the overlap? You're not abandoning the lower tempos; you're extending the upper range while maintaining the foundation.

Week 3: 120-130bpm Week 4: 125-135bpm Week 5: 130-140bpm

• You're working the same material but not introducing novelty. You're building progression.

Step 3: Reach Your Next Peak (Even If It's Lower Than Your Previous Peak)

By the time you return to 140 BPM, something interesting happens.

Sometimes your new peak is 142 BPM, and sometimes it's 138 BPM.

That's perfectly fine.

What matters is that your baseline has shifted.

Step 4: Go Back Down Again (Your Baseline Should Be Higher)

After reaching your new peak, go back down to find your true baseline.

If your original baseline was 110 BPM, it's now 120 BPM.

Why? Because you didn't just train your peak speed; you trained your control, relaxation and consistency across a wider range.

That's what breaking a plateau looks like.

It's not about constantly hitting new top speeds; it's about raising the floor so the ceiling naturally rises with it.

Why This Works: Baseline vs Peak

Most drummers and teachers focus on peak performance. They ask questions like "How fast can I play this?" "What's my top tempo?" and "Did I beat my previous record?"

This approach overlooks the importance of building a strong baseline. A strong baseline is the foundation upon which you can build your peak performance.By focusing on building a strong baseline, you're not just training your peak speed; you're also training your control, relaxation and consistency across a wider range.

This approach is more effective than constantly hitting new top speeds. It's about raising the floor so the ceiling naturally rises with it.

Peak performance is fragile. You can reach 140 BPM once, with tension and barely hanging on – that's not useful; it's just a number. Baseline performance is what truly matters.

Baseline is the tempo where you have complete control, no tension, no twitching. You could play at that speed for 10 minutes without fatigue. Raising your baseline automatically leads to a higher peak.

If your baseline is 120 BPM (effortless control), your peak naturally extends to 135-140 BPM (manageable tension, still controlled). However, if your baseline is 110bpm, your peak struggles to break 130bpm. The floor determines the ceiling.

What My Student Confirmed

My student confirmed this. When I asked them which he preferred – something new each week or progression – they didn't just say "progression". They said the "something-new-each-week" approach made him angry.

Why? It felt like his previous teacher was keeping lessons "interesting" for the sake of it, without actually helping him improve. He wanted to work on something, struggle with it and breakthrough, not be handed something new before he'd finished working through the challenge. That's what progression feels like. It's not always fun, exciting or even frustrating. But when you breakthrough – when you go from 110 BPM baseline to 120 BPM baseline and feel the difference – that's the satisfaction that keeps you coming back.

The Students Who Stick Around vs Those Who Quit

Here's something I've noticed: students who thrive on progression stick around. They might plateau or get frustrated, but they keep showing up because they feel themselves improving. Students who need constant novelty to stay engaged usually quit within a few months.

Not because they're bad students or lack talent. It's because novelty-based learning doesn't create the deep satisfaction that comes from genuine progression. And when the novelty wears off (which it always does), there's nothing left to keep them motivated.

Perhaps drumming isn't the right instrument for them. Alternatively, they might be missing the right approach. Either way, chasing novelty won't help them figure it out.

For Teachers: Stop Being Afraid of Plateaus

For teachers, it's important to stop fearing plateaus. You want engaging and dynamic lessons, but students don't quit because they're working on the same material for weeks. They quit because they feel they're not improving. Progression beats novelty every time.

For example, if a student is practising double kick at 110-120 BPM for four weeks and feels a noticeable difference each week—more control, less tension, better consistency—they're engaged, not bored. They can measure their progress and feel a breakthrough coming. That's what keeps them motivated.

It's not a new fill every week or a different groove every lesson. It's depth, mastery, and progression.

For Students: Trust the Process

For students, trust the process, even when it feels slow. If your teacher makes you work on the same thing for weeks, it's not laziness. It's intentional. You're building something.

When you hit a plateau, don't assume you need something new. Assume you need to work smarter within the same material. Go back to your baseline, build range progressively, solidify control before chasing higher peaks, and trust that raising the floor raises the ceiling. That's how you actually break through.

The Bottom Line

"Something new each week" feels engaging in the short term but kills long-term progress. Students want progression, not novelty.

When you hit a plateau:

1. Go back down to find your true baseline (no tension, complete control)
2. Build range progressively using overlapping windows (110-120 → 115-125 → 120-130)
3. Hit your next peak (even if it's below your previous peak)
4. Go back down again—your baseline should be higher
5. Repeat

Raising your baseline raises your peak. That's how you break plateaus and create genuine progression. Not by chasing novelty, but by committing to depth.

Are you looking to make genuine progress rather than simply jumping between random pieces of material? Let's develop a systematic approach that effectively breaks through plateaus. Contact me for drum lessons in Bristol

www.harrybonedrumlessons.com