Mistakes aren’t all bad.
Don’t be afraid to make them -
just don’t ignore them!
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
We know that practice doesn’t make perfect.
(And while we’re on the subject, we might as well admit to ourselves that 100% flawlessness is impossible, and that most of us don’t have what it takes to be a true perfectionist anyhow.)
So that leaves us with a phrase often used in place of the classic aphorism “Practice makes perfect” – namely, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” (often credited to the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi).
Thing is, that phrase “perfect practice” too often seems to give people the wrong impression.
How so?
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Minimal effort
brings maximal performance.
What a paradox!
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
Musicians are often regarded as being a pretty hard-working lot – a reputation that I’d say is probably well-deserved. We often start at a very young age, spend lots of alone time practicing while others are out doing more enjoyable things, and are pretty good about putting in our hours on a consistent basis. Hmm…now that I think of it, how is it that we can practice every single day, without fail, for years on end, but we can’t stick with a simple diet or exercise program beyond a few months?
Anyhow, to get back to my original train of thought, we spend tens of thousands of hours working really hard to reach ever higher levels of excellence. To play with greater accuracy and consistency, to develop a more compelling sound, greater control and dynamic range, expressivity and clarity of intent. All that good stuff.
But how much time do we spend trying to make playing easier? Working to see just how little effort we can expend?
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Recently, I was asked to write a guest post on a relatively new music site. As I did some browsing through the archives to learn more about the folks behind this venture, I found some noteworthy articles that I thought would be of interest to the readers of this blog. String-heavy emphasis, but still very relevant to all the non-string players out there, and all worth Instapaper-ing, if not Evernote-ing.
I’ve never done a post like this, but thought it might be nice to tap into the collective wisdom of others out in the music world. Ready? Alrightie, let’s give it a go…
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Make a decision
to practice or not. Commit,
and then just do it.
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
It’s reasonably easy to stick with a consistent practice routine during the parts of the year where a regular class or work schedule is there to keep us honest. The routine becomes a habit, and for the most part, we just go along with it.
But holidays and breaks throw a monkey wrench into our established routine and our practice habits can suffer.
I remember those days where I’d wake up, tell myself that I really ought to practice, but put it off until later. “I just woke up” I’d say. “After breakfast” I’d promise myself. Pretty soon it’d be lunchtime, and I’d tell myself that it made more sense to practice after lunch instead of practicing hungry. Of course I’d feel too sluggish to practice after lunch, and since I wasn’t practicing anyway, decide I might as well watch some TV. One show would lead to another, and I’d keep rationalizing until pretty soon it was time for bed and all I could do was kick myself for being so unproductive.
Sound familiar?
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Perhaps you remember being a child, and the excitement and anticipation of Christmas morning? For most kids, it’s hard enough to wait until your parents are awake to dive into the presents under the tree. And for many budding musicians, the wait is even more unbearable because not only do they have to wait until their parents are awake, but they also have to get in a good practice session before they can open presents. Or was it just me?
Anyhow, the holidays can be a tricky time for musicians, student and professional alike. There are all sorts of demands on our time – travel, shopping, family obligations, parties and other seasonal festivities, not to mention the general excitement and desire to enjoy some well-deserved time off from the daily grind.
Yet the holidays are over in a flash, and the new year starts off pretty quickly with important auditions and performances right around the corner.
So as much as we’d like to leave our instrument in the case for two weeks, most of us can’t really afford to take such an extended break. But allowing the “I have to practice” cloud to constantly hang over our heads, and guilting ourselves into practicing is no fun either.
So how can we say productive during the holidays, get high-quality practice time in, and avoid feeling guilty about taking some time away from our instruments to relax and enjoy ourselves?
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