Ok, this has probably been covered ad nauseum but what do you guys do when practice becomes a chore? When you don’t feel like you’re progressing and even moving backwards? That’s where I’m at right now. Do you take break …work on something else? Just curl up and wallow in the depression?
What do you guys do?
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Take a break, split open a can of beer and head out to the garden. If it’s raining I’ll watch a movie, check out YouTube for a documentary history or wildlife. One thing I never do is fret about my progress, it is what it is. Usually @BanjoBen will come up with a lesson to inspire me to get back into the swing of things I also subscribe to an Australian Banjo Teacher Heath Joyce at PickinLessons.com who teaches Irish/Celtic Single String and Melodic 5 String Banjo mostly in the Key of D . In short I try not to let the grass grow under my feet
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Don’t ever let playing become work. Definitely take a break if you need to. More than once I’ve stepped away for a few days and found my playing was actually better when I picked it up again. If your music ain’t paying the bills, it’s supposed to take you away from the stress of life.
If you don’t want to step away from playing, maybe try learning a new song. Sometimes I’ll go to the beginner banjo section and learn something easy to feel like I’ve made progress.
Way more often than I should, I’ll just play what I already know. It means I’m not learning anything, but at least I’m keeping songs fresh in my mind, keeping up my skill, and enjoying the music.
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The best advice I can give is: take a break from practicing, and start playing more. Listen twice as much to a variety of bands. Play often, but not for too long at a time. Play along with recordings, and jam with others if possible. Let what you play and hear seep into you for a bit. Have music present with you throughout the day.
Another thing… take up a similar hobby; one that stimulates your brain in the same way playing an instrument does. Mine is speedcubing. I hear chord changes, I play a lick. I see color patterns, I do an algorithm. When I get bogged down with one, I do the other and can usually practice the other fine, keeping my brain active. Sort of a win-win thing.
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Take a break from your regular practice and just play and have fun making stuff up. Then soon you will want to go back and keep learning something new again
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