What if you are dreading your practice time, you’re feeling bored or burnt out? Remember, You are not alone. Every musician feels like this from time to time. But how do you overcome the feeling and make your practice time more fun, relaxing and enjoyable, at the same time productive?
Practice blues are real, but temporary and you can overcome them. Playing the piano is a very rewarding activity if we learn to deal with our practice blues. Here are some strategies you can try. You can try either one at a time, or combination of a few together and see what works best for you:
1. Practice in short sessions multiple times instead of one long session- Learning new techniques, repertoire, or developing overall musicianship involves hours of hard work to get things sounding right. So if you practice in shorter sessions, your ability to focus improves exceptionally. Your chances of getting burnt out are far less if you use this approach.
2. Learn easier pieces for fun- You can try etudes/repertoire lower than your present level to keep your practice fresh. This will also help you to get to a performance level quicker and keep you motivated. To start with, it is a good sight reading practice.
3. Make your practice space relaxing and quiet- Your practice environment should be free of distractions to help you focus better and at the same time, enjoy the music you make. Distractions can lead to poor practice habits which in turn can affect your productivity.
4. Listen to/ watch the (video) recordings of the repertoire you are working on- Active listening is an important activity for developing musicians. It helps you drift your attention to many details you might have not noticed on the score while you were playing. Listening to concert pianist play is not only a great way to get inspired but it also helps you to listen to different interpretations, and techniques used. It is a fun way to take some break from playing but still be productive.
5. Watch your own old videos- When you look at yourself playing in an old video, this really helps you to reflect on how far you have come. This is always very motivating especially when you are not feeling like sitting at the piano and do all the hard work. It’s charges you up.
6. Take a break and go for a walk- If any of the above don’t work, there are high chances you need a little break from music making. Taking a day off is great too! So do not feel guilty of not practicing at all for a day or two. Take that time to gather yourself. There is no harm in this stretegy.
To sum up, Piano playing is hard work and it does need a lot of mental stamina and perseverance to keep going. Be mindful of the way you feel each day, before and after your practice session and I am sure you will be able to tackle “practice blues” and achieve success in your music endeavors.
Happy Practicing to all!
Disha's Piano Studio 🎹 