Playing and get distracted by... food!

[danielbo]

Hi everybody, don't you get distracted while playing?
I think my case is kind of pathological... I'm a multitask kind of person (even at work) so that I can be doing a lot of stuff all together.
I'm an adult learner and I live by myself, I've a lot of extrawork activities such as acting, singing in a choir and swimming... I practice 1 or 2 hours per day but I don't always have time to do it...

Well, when I finally sit on the bench of my piano, I start with exercise and scales but after like 15/20 minutes I get up and  start wandering around the apartment and I often start eating.. maybe I start with just a biscuit and I go back to the piano and 5 minutes after I go back to the kitchen and take 3 other biscuits and maybe other stuff...
And I don't always feel hungry... what shall I do?
It's like I get bored at the piano and my mind finds tricks to escape...but I love playing!
It's hard and I don't always find time to practice every day, but still, I love it!

How do you manage with yours distractions? 

[iansinclair]

Sure do get distracted.  Not every time, but there are days -- or practice sessions! -- when I can't keep my mind on what I'm supposed to be doing.  Nor on anything else, for that matter.

I don't have a good solution (although you might bring the biscuit tin in to the piano...).

[kalospiano]

Don't know about you but I usually get distracted that way when I have to do something that I don't really feel like doing.  Maybe you're playing after you've done already so many things that all you wanna do is finally chill in that case I guess you need to choose between the piano and the rest of your activities, at least on some days. Try to make a weekly plan of the days when you'll play, those when you'll swim, etc. If it's just hunger, instead, as suggested by ian, bring the food to your piano 

[bronnestam]

Well, when I finally sit on the bench of my piano, I start with exercise and scales but after like 15/20 minutes I get up and  start wandering around the apartment and I often start eating..

I would try not to start with exercises and scales but begin with the yummy things instead. 15-20 minutes - well, often I get interrupted in such a time frame, so I consider myself very lucky when I can play for an hour without getting disturbed.

I think you should respect the signal from your brain saying that what you are doing is not the best for you - playing scales, that is. If you do something that is of real benefit for you, you will get absorbed by it.

So, someone, or maybe a lot of people, have told you that it is good to start with scales. That a decent practice session is 45 minutes. That you need self discpline to get somewhere. That you need proper warm-up, or else you will break your fingers when you get loose on Rach 3 or whatever your current project is ...

This is baloney all the way. Baloney because this excellent advice apparently does not work for YOU. You are you. Your brain sends you to the kitchen because it needs a positive fix instantly, and good food is the simpliest and quickest solution ...

Or you may even develop a dangerous habit which you will enforce over time: you start with the usual C Major scale, or whatever, and your brain quickly makes the association: C Major scale -> cookie needed! And then it sends a signal to you stomach and you palate that tell you it's cookie time.

Some of us cannot go to the cinema without feeling the urge to eat popcorn. Some of us react as Pavlov's dog at the sight of a McDonald's sign. A lot of people cannot sit idle in these days for even one minute without starting to fiddle with their cell phones. (And they get a mental breakdown when they lose the WiFi- anyone feeling targeted now?    ) It is a planted habit. You need to break it.

So just skip those scales, go for the fun parts instead. If you still get hungry after 20 minutes, then at least you have done something useful ... or maybe you have to accept the fact that you can work for just 20 minutes at a time, good, then do so.  

[danielbo]

Well... thanks to all of you!

During the last weekend I tried to take a break, doing stuff only if I wanted to, included playing.
Well, I ended up playing a lot, but only the "yummy things" as bronnestam said!
Guess what? no biscuits needed!

I think Kalospiano was right

Maybe you're playing after you've done already so many things that all you wanna do is finally chill in that case I guess you need to choose between the piano and the rest of your activities, at least on some days.

Yes, it's a hard choice... maybe not playing every day could be a solution! Let's see!

So, someone, or maybe a lot of people, have told you that it is good to start with scales. That a decent practice session is 45 minutes. That you need self discpline to get somewhere. That you need proper warm-up, or else you will break your fingers when you get loose on Rach 3 or whatever your current project is ...

This is baloney all the way. Baloney because this excellent advice apparently does not work for YOU. You are you. Your brain sends you to the kitchen because it needs a positive fix instantly, and good food is the simpliest and quickest solution ...

You are right! My teacher told me that I should practice scales or Hanon 10 minutes before playing. Well sometimes I like doing that and I even play them for longer (30 minutes) but then I get bored!
I'll try to do the other way round, start with pieces I'm working on and then scales or Hanon...let's see if it works!


Thanks to all of you!

[keymasher]

You could also try mixing up your practicing of scales to prevent you from going on autopilot when you practice.  Maybe try playing them in thirds or sixths.  Another possibility would be to change the order you play your scales.  Perhaps start with some of the uglier key signatures and work your way towards C-major as opposed to always starting there.  Changing the order could also help you dial up any particular scale on command if you ever see yourself needing to do this (exams, auditions, etc...).  As opposed to going from ascending to descending, you could try starting at the top of the scale instead and play descending to ascending scales.

As far as managing distractions, I'm not a multi-tasker, so my methods may not be particularly helpful.  However, I find that when I try to dig down into the details of a piece, I find myself getting significantly less distracted.  Making sure I keep a consistent beat (where the metronome comes in), counting, and not glossing over dynamic markings not only keep me engaged, but improves my playing.

But, if focusing on the "yummy things" first is proving to be a solution, then by all means, do what works!  My tips above are just about how I would approach the situation based on what I know works for me.  If you've found something else that is better suiting for you, then great!

[mjames]

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Dude that's EXACTLY how I practice.  I do 20 minutes, go on my phone, 5 minutes eat some left over pizza, do 7 minutes, finish eating my pizza etc...

[kawai_cs]

Crumbs between piano keys, eew. I can put up with food residue on my laptop by never on my keyboard.

Dude that's EXACTLY how I practice.  I do 20 minutes, go on my phone, 5 minutes eat some left over pizza, do 7 minutes, finish eating my pizza etc...

Who are you trying to fool? You don't even know how pizza tastes

To OP:why do you buy biscuits at all? To keep yourself focused at the piano you only need condiments, veggies and light in your fridge.

[kawai_cs]

But to be honest I experience the same thing from time to time as well (not only at the piano) and it is, as somebody above mentioned, when I actually need to chill out.
Nevertheless, I avoid being tempted by food by not buying processed, ready to eat stuff. Mostly I have a lot of vegetables in my fridge so if I feel I need to have something I have to bite in a radish or a carrot

[danielbo]

Dude that's EXACTLY how I practice.  I do 20 minutes, go on my phone, 5 minutes eat some left over pizza, do 7 minutes, finish eating my pizza etc...

But to be honest I experience the same thing from time to time as well (not only at the piano) and it is, as somebody above mentioned, when I actually need to chill out.
Nevertheless, I avoid being tempted by food by not buying processed, ready to eat stuff. Mostly I have a lot of vegetables in my fridge so if I feel I need to have something I have to bite in a radish or a carrot

That's comforting! I'm not alone on this planet!
I wonder how can somebody manage to study 8 hours per day... I would gain something like 20 kilos! 

Btw, "why biscuits?" gosh, they're carbs!! that is why!! 
I try as well to have veggies instead of biscuits but it doesn't work!

[tjinaz]

This is what I do: I treat food as a reward.

Let's say I'm at the memorization stage of a piece. I'd then tell myself that if I play a given page by memory twice without errors, then I can get a biscuit (or whatever else).

Make sure the task you give yourself is difficult enough that you're not getting up every two minutes.

[briansaddleback]

I avoid being tempted by food by not buying processed, ready to eat stuff. Mostly I have a lot of vegetables in my fridge so if I feel I need to have something I have to bite in a radish or a carrot

This is why you look like a Greek goddess.

[kawai_cs]

I am using ames room, but shhh...

[briansaddleback]

I am using ames room, but shhh...

lol ..wha? you're not there again? no , im just talkin about in general. ames room or not.