Mental practice (MP) in music refers to the ability to rehearse music in the mind without any muscular movements or acoustic feedback. While previous studies have shown effects of the combination of MP and physical practice (PP) on instrumental performance, here we aimed to assess MP and PP effects on memory abilities. During a 1-week music practice protocol, classical guitarists were asked to practise a new musical piece using either a combination of MP and PP or PP alone. We asked participants to perform the piece and notate it at 3 different times: Day 1 and Day 7 of the 1-week practice protocol and 10 days after its completion (follow-up session). Results showed that the combination of MP and PP improves both notation and performance tasks compared with PP alone. Furthermore, we observed a clearer difference in memory performance in the follow-up session as compared with that in Day 7. Our results show that musicians can use both MP and PP to improve long-term retention and to reduce physical workload and playing-related overuse injuries. Therefore, we encourage music educators to teach MP in the classrooms rather than letting students discover it in a serendipitous way.

音乐中的心理练习（MP）是指在没有任何肌肉运动或声音反馈的情况下在脑海中练习音乐的能力。虽然以前的研究表明MP和体育锻炼（PP）的结合对乐器演奏的影响，但我们的目的是评估MP和PP对记忆能力的影响。在为期1周的音乐练习协议中，古典吉他手被要求使用MP和PP或单独使用PP组合来练习新的音乐作品。我们要求参与者演奏该作品并在3个不同的时间进行标记：1周练习方案的第1天和第7天，以及完成后10天（后续会议）。结果表明，与单独使用PP相比，MP和PP的组合可以同时改善符号和性能任务。此外，与第7天相比，我们在后续活动中观察到了记忆表现的明显差异。我们的结果表明，音乐家可以同时使用MP和PP来改善长期保持力，并减少身体负担和与演奏有关的过度使用伤害。因此，我们鼓励音乐教育者在教室里教授MP，而不是让学生偶然发现MP。