Backwards Progress

TrumpetProbs · Regular Member Joined: 13 Mar 2016 Posts: 11

Lately, I've noticed a decline in my ability to practice efficiently every day. I'll wake up and I'll be excited to play later on that day, but when I pick up the horn and play for about 10 mins through my warm-up I'll tend to get frustrated with my playing. I don't know if it's because school is out and summer is here or what. Does anyone have advice on how to get motivated or on how to practice properly when unmotivated?

Brad361 · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:07 pm Post subject:

Yep, and it's not really difficult: as the Nike slogan said, just do it. No, it's not always fun, interesting or exciting, but what separates the people who become accomplished from those who don't is dogged determination. Just like real life, it's not always fun. Sounds like your problem is not ability to practice, it's motivation to practice. The guys who reach a very high skill level didn't get there by only showing up for rehearsals and gigs, they did it in practice rooms.

That being said, you need to know WHAT to practice, apparently you're not taking lessons? Finding a qualified teacher should be your next priority, that will help you more than any school band rehearsals, contests, concerts, etc.

Brad
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When asked if he always sounds great:
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Richard III · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:09 pm Post subject:

Play music. Not exercises. Not stuff somebody assigned. Play music you like. Be in a band. Play gigs.
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

Brad361 · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:16 pm Post subject:

TKSop · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:28 pm Post subject:

Andy Del · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:30 pm Post subject:

The reason we get frustrated while practicing is that we don't sound the way we want to.

I wold estimate in the vast majority of cases, the frustration is due to not knowing what or how to practice. That knowledge will not come from playing in a band unless it is the elemental and basic sort of information. To really get to know what you need to do, go get a good teacher and start doing what they tell you to do.

Keep doing this all summer and on into next school year. See how you feel about your practice then. there is a chance you will feel much more positive about it.

cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...

Grits Burgh · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:31 pm Post subject:

I suggest setting goals and then practicing to attain them. The awareness of progress and the meeting of goals is motivating.

For the last 8 months I have played very little music. I practice daily, almost exclusively on exercises. It is not boring because I am improving. My range has greatly improved. I have memorized all of the major scales (and I am playing them faster), etc.

That said, there is something to be said for playing music that you enjoy as well.

Regards,
Grits
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Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

y-o-y · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:32 pm Post subject:

"regression"

dstdenis · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:32 pm Post subject:

Listen to some great music. That always gets me motivated to play.

If it's a practice session, think about what you will work on and try to accomplish. Thinking about the "big picture" gets me motivated to practice the things I need to work on.
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razeontherock · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 6:13 pm Post subject:

10 minutes in is often when bugs in our chops first show up. They are there to be worked out! This is why so much of TH bandwidth is devoted to specific warm-up routines, fundamentals and pedagogy. Long tones, Clarke and Schlossberg are favorites for a reason. (Its to get us ready for Arban, right?

Richard III · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:40 pm Post subject:

How much time did Louis spend playing exercises.? College has taken over music. Listen. Learn. Imitate. Innovate. Make it happen.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

drboogenbroom · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 697

Practicing is a matter of habit, not willpower. If you are having to force yourself to practice, you are already starting out in a bad place. It needs to become something you do everyday, without particular emotional impetus or attachment. We don't get frustrated with "bad showers" or motivated by "good showers," we just build a habit of showering, if we value being clean. If we value being a musician, we build a habit of practice.

So far as the meat of that practice goes, get with a teacher. Really. You won't improve if you don't work on the right things in the right way and it is too easy to get a teacher these days. There are a number of world class teachers who offer skype lessons if you don't have someone in your area.

The structure of lessons will also help you build the practicing habit.
Kevin
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By concentrating on precision, one arrives at technique, but by concentrating on technique one does not arrive at precision.

Bruno Walter

Billy B · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 4:52 am Post subject:

http://www.businessinsider.com/my-11-year-old-son-auditioned-at-juilliard-2017-5
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ztay · New Member Joined: 12 Dec 2016 Posts: 6

I see this a lot with my students.
One thing I tell them is to, right when you have the urge, to play. Don't wait until later in the day if you can help it. Because if you do it will effect your mental capacity to play as well as your actual abilities.

John Mohan · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:46 am Post subject:

John Mohan · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:54 am Post subject:

cheiden · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 10:26 am Post subject:

I think there's a certain inevitability to having times where you lose ground. Everyone has an evolving idea of how to get ahead, but that idea is often imperfect. When you follow your imperfect method your progress may stall or retreat. When that happens, that's the time to take stock of what works and what doesn't, tweak your approach, and come at it from a slightly different angle.
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Brad361 · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:47 am Post subject:

Brad361 · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:55 am Post subject:

cheiden · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:58 pm Post subject:

Getting back to the original post. If you're getting frustrated in 10 minutes then you need to reconsider what it is you're doing in that 10 minutes and how it is that you're doing it.

I used to be guilty of believing that I'd make the best use of my time by playing the hardest things I could fine. Low and behold, in just a few minutes time I was shot. It took me a really long time to realize that all I was doing was getting really good at beating myself up. I'm not suggesting that's what you're doing but there's may more unproductive ways to practice than there are productive ones.
_________________
"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart