[Elecraft] Fwd: Re: [OT] increasing CW copy speed: practice slow -v- practice fast

[Don Wilhelm]

Robert,

What is missing is that each person learns at a different level and 
pace.  Each of us has our brains "wired differently".
In other words, what will work well for one person does not mean that it 
will work well for all.
The quickest way to increasing CW speed is to get on the air and start 
copying stations that stretch your current copying speed.  In other 
words, push yourself to higher speeds even if you cannot copy everything.
ARRL Code Practice is good up to 35 WPM, so try that, but on the air 
conversations may drop you back to 25 WPM because of CW being sent 
imperfectly.
When you can copy imperfect code (from a bug or keyer without perfect 
spacing), then you have 'arrived'.

There is no substitute for practice - I advocate the 10 minutes a day at 
trying to copy above your comfortable speed limit.  More time than that 
leads to frustration.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/7/2015 8:27 PM, Robert G Strickland wrote:
> Bob's approach to increasing speed once a basic level of cw 
> proficiency has been achieved speak directly to my original thoughts 
> on the subject. Using a 5-letter group of random letters as the 
> practice message, then my question, in terms of Bob's approach, could 
> be stated as follows. Which is the quickest way to achieve some target 
> speed: to start the group at a speed where only one/two character are 
> correct, or to start where three/four are correct? I have no doubt 
> that with the regular and intense "concentration" that Bob advocates, 
> any method [within common sense limits] will result in higher copying 
> speed. That said, which starting point is going to get the operator to 
> the target speed the quickest? I don't know. Most of the folks who can 
> comfortably copy at speeds in excess of 30wpm seem to be from the "old 
> school" in that many learned in the military and have been at it a 
> very long time. I have to believe that their speed developed over time 
> with continuous usage/practice. Nothing beats time in the saddle. An 
> interesting "experiment" would be to take a bunch of hams who can copy 
> at 20wpm, divide them into the two approaches being discussed and 
> "measure" how long it takes each group to be comfortable at 30/35wpm. 
> A human factors issue is a person's task motivation and tolerance for 
> frustration. Starting with only one character correct out of five may 
> be pretty daunting for some and a piece of cake for others. But, 
> that's a separate issue.