Illness and practicing

[donjuan]

I am just back to school and after the first day my nose stuffs up and the throat starts hurting.  That was yesterday.  Today, I feel so tired because my body is fighting off the virus and I cant practice too well- my hands are stiff and cold.

I know I just have to wait to get better, but I was wondering if anyone here has any solutions to help practicing when you feel ill.

Even typing is kind of labouring...

donjuan

[thierry13]

Just do mental practice for your illness, practice like berhnard often explain. Visualise all the movements, fingerings, how you would want the piece to sound, train your ear, study a score... there is so much to do!!!

[in_love_with_liszt]

Well as long as I don't have a stomach ache & feel nautious, I usually try to eat as much as I can when I'm sick, mostly foods high in protein. This gives an extra energy boost and usually the strength to practice regularly. The really awesome thing about playing music is that after a while you're centered so much in it that you forget about being sick. Now if I'm really sick I usually don't practice very much or not at all and just recouperate for a day or two. If I have to stay in bed, one thing that I like to do that my mom calls me crazy when I do it is sing the melody of a song I really like (not necessarily one I've ever played) and imaging I'm playing the piece, trying to visualise where my fingers would go.

[donjuan]

Thank you very much for your suggestions!  I just had my piano lesson today, and was sniffing and hacking away throughout, and I kept blacking out..  My teacher was understanding, but after I finished he wiped off the keyboard with disinfectant and suggested I get that new drug "Cold FX".  I am considering it...
donjuan