Getting in a Slump

[chopiabin]

Recently I have been really sporadic with my praticing, and its starting to worry me. I used to practice between 3-5 hours per day, without fail. I've had a lot of work the last  two weeks, but I've only practiced maybe twice and I skipped both my lessons - I didn't even tell my teacher I wasn't coming. Needless to say, I feel awful and kinda weird about this. I'm wondering if it has to do with the way he criticizes me if I can't fix a problem one second after he explains it to me, or if I'm just stressed and a little burned out. Has anyone ever felt like this? This is more than just a day or two hiatus, it started before Thanksgiving, but has gotten worse and worse. Help!

[quasimodo]

I'm not going to talk about the the teacher's issue. The question of compatibility between a teacher and a student has been discussed a lot of time on this forum.

But ihaving a problem with your teacher should not prevent you to practice on a daily basis on yourself, use all the time available for it.

Consider there are people (like me) who don't have the material time for playing more than one or at most two hours a day and are very frustrated !!! If you can spend 3 to 5 hours at the piano, but don't do it, you're really guilty. I wish I had 3 hours daily practice !!!

[janice]

I know exactly how you feel, Chopiabin.  I am going thru a slump right now, also.  It seems that all I want to do is play Christmas music and my technique is going downhill (I feel) and I have to force myself to work on my classical stuff.

[richard w]

If you engage in the same activity for 3 to 5 hours per day, then it seem only logical that you might get a bit board of it, from time to time. Based on what I've gleaned from these pages so far, it would seem it is quite possible to make decent progress and not need to do 3 to 5 hours practice a day.

So first of all, address what you are doing during your practise sessions. Perhaps (if not almost certainly) you are spending a lot of time going over material you can already play, when really you should be concentrating on isolating difficulties and bringing them up to standard. Learn to re-engage with your practise with an renewed sense of self discipline.

Next, look at what you are playing. Perhaps you are board with the repertoire you are currently working on. Perhaps you could broaden the range of pieces you are working on and stimulate a bit of interest. Do a bit of listening and find a piece you could become passionate about learning.

With some new repertoire and a renewed approach to your practise you should, with luck, find that you are happy once again to spend 3 to 5 hours in the practise room. But, two things - make sure you practise every day, even for just 20 minutes (you'll probably end up staying for longer, anyway), and please don't miss your lessons.

Good luck.


Richard.

[jazzyprof]

You should also take a look at what else is going on in your life.  Sometimes the reasons for not spending time at the piano or for skipping lessons have nothing to do with the piano, music, or the piano teacher.

[Bob]

I would say just stick it out.  It may just be the blah's.  Force yourself to go back to practicing.  Find something interesting to focus and work on.  Don't take your eyes off the goal.

[chopiabin]

Thanks guys, it's just been a weird time. I've been procrastinating a lot in all my classes and sometimes I just feel like I cant justify practicing when I have tons of work due. I really want to do some new repertoire, but my teacher, though he is great, won't let me - I'm frustrated!