For any drummer who has tried to master the legendary Purdie shuffle by rote, any singer/songwriter who has attempted to wield a loop pedal in front of a live audience such as Ed Sheeran at the 59th GRAMMYs, or any pianist who watched in awe as piano prodigy Joey Alexander performed on music’s biggest stage at just 11 years old, effective and repetitive practice is key, and that comes down to science.

The connection between creative artistry and quantifiable science may seem distant at best, but a recent How To Practice Effectively … For Just About Anything TED Ed presentation by Annie Bosler and Don Greene explains how physical repetition and focused practice trains the body’s nerve systems to allow information to travel more efficiently from the brain to the muscles, a phenomenon commonly known as muscle memory. To up your practice game, see how it works.

Watch Ed Sheeran’s 59th GRAMMY performance of "The Shape Of You"