My motivation is waning....

[redheadrebby]

Hi,

I've been playing for about 10 years now, and have recently started working for my ATCL. I have always gone through periods of being more motivated or less motivated (as I'm sure many others here will understand).

However, recently, I have been finding it particularly difficult to motivate myself to learn my new pieces. Despite loving to listen to recordings of the pieces, I am not enjoying learning them as much as I was. Initially, I was driven, but it seems to have waned. This worries me a lot, as I want to progress, and I want to feel excited about the pieces again, as I did at the beginning.

Has anyone had experience of this, and found a good solution? Or provide advice?

Thanks

[j_tour]

I think everyone feels this way from time to time.  I know I certainly have.

The only way I can get through it is just treat it like any other job or task you have to do.  Set a stopwatch if you have to, but just do however much time you think is appropriate each and every day, even if it's unpleasant.

Personally, I despise tidying up my condo, washing dishes, cleaning the toilet/shower, and all that -- I mean REALLY despise that kind of work -- but I've learned a little bit of self-control in those kinds of tasks really can change habits/ruts you get into.

Hey, it still beats punching a time clock digging ditches in some swamp.

ETA not to sounds like too much of a nay-sayer, but it might well be you NEVER get that feeling you had at the beginning, learning new stuff, developing new techniques.   That's probably superstar professionals get the big bucks and all the other perks -- they just keep grinding it out, even when they don't feel like it.

[dogperson]

Of course we have all had periods where we are just not motivated!   What works for me is that I have committed to myself to PLAY for a few minutes every day.....( note that I used the word PLAY and not a committment to PRACTICE every day). 

On these days where I am not motivated to practice, I start out by playing a few minutes of what I know and love.  This often works as motivation to start actual practice.

[bernadette60614]

Sure!  I think we wouldn't be human if our emotional state was constant.

What helps me varies, but what has helped me recently is invoking this quote:  Music orders life.

Music, in a way, whether I'm making "progress" or not, is kind of the way my mind resets itself when it becomes disordered by the day to day of life.  It is my mental "reboot." 

[lostinidlewonder]

When music simply becomes about passing exam grades it can all get very monotonous, question whether working towards your diploma is right for your at the moment especially if you are feeling so unmotivated because you are going to need a lot of motivation to get you through it all. Read about the lives of some of the great composers, look at all sorts of non musical art such as paintings or poetry, works that have inspired composers. Treat yourself to some live concerts, you could even visit the music schools in your area and attend their concerts. Play for more people regularly not just yourself, your teachers and your examiners.

[redheadrebby]

Thank you for all the responses
It's quite reassuring to know that it's not an uncommon feeling. I think I will try what many of you said, and just make sure I play every day, and try the idea of playing for a bit before practising.

[keypeg]

It's easy to practice when you are motivated, and when starting out the excitement and impetus are especially high.  But motivation itself is not what actually carries your progress forward.  (I have seen more than one post over the years where a student is worried about a dip in motivation, thinking that this will stop their progress).  It is your actions that carry you forward, even when you don't feel like it.
I freelance and have hugely fluctuating work loads.  In one period a few years ago the work load was especially bad.  I created a routine where in every "break" I would do some kind of exercise to keep the blood flowing, and then spend 5-10 minutes working on maybe 2 measures of a new piece.  With 4 breaks in a day that adds up to 8 measures, and in a week that's 56 measures.  Each time I felt that I was not achieving anything, and I felt absolutely nothing.  But when that work load finished and I had time to breathe and look back, I was surprised at how much I had reached while "barely doing anything with music, and not feeling motivated".

[redheadrebby]

I like your idea, Keypeg, of doing small bits but often. I think I'll give that a go, as I am also quite busy.

[debussychopin]

When I lose motivation w piano, I go to my classical guitar and practice that. I did last time in July, I didnt touch the piano for a whole month. I just practiced guitar.  My guitar always welcomes me back.  However,
the piano doesnt.

[keypeg]

I like your idea, Keypeg, of doing small bits but often. I think I'll give that a go, as I am also quite busy.

I'm wondering what happened once you tried this.

[vaniii]

If I might chime in ...

Stop for a while; the piano will be there for you when you get back.  Literally taking one or two weeks off rehearsal every few months can do wonders for your mind and motivation therein.

Sometimes it can even help your practice.  Never forget music is a concept and playing it is a skill.  Both these things need time to sit in your head and saturate.  When it becomes a chore it is a sign you need rest; absence makes the heart grow fonder.

PS: as LIW stated above, if you are only pursuing an exam, practice can grow stale.  If you are preparing for an exam in the next six months, the pieces will not get much better through blind repetition from now till summer.  If anything, you will learn more from playing music associated or relevant to the skills needed for the exam pieces (i.e. If you are playing Bach Prelude and Fugue No X, why not try the others in related keys or by other composers; similarly so with Sonatas or Etudes).

[mjames]

^---I can vouch for that.

Stopped playing the Chopin's etude for 2 weeks (because I had to study for exams, not a music major), and it was right around the time I was becoming frustrated with it. Nothing was improving as it first did during the first few weeks. Came back to it after finishing my last exam 2 days, and behold, I can almost play 3/4s of the piece near tempo. My hands also feel completely comfortable too.

I must say, I've experienced this "coming back better than before after a break" and I'm still amazed and fascinated by it. It's incredible how much we can improve by not playing at all...the human brain is awesome.

[georgey]

I must say, I've experienced this "coming back better than before after a break" and I'm still amazed and fascinated by it. It's incredible how much we can improve by not playing at all...the human brain is awesome.

This is true in my experience also and it applies to things other than playing an instrument.  Sometimes forcing practicing or forcing learning something to meet a deadline or schedule can cause the brain to get tied up in knots.  A break can be all that is needed for those knots to loosen and unwind.

[indianajo]

My teacher, instead of putting me through an alphabet list of tests and levels, found me interesting fun pieces to play.  Then I learned them, learning various techniques along the way. I did do exercises, 10 minutes a day max, because they focus on the hard tricks of piano.
It helped that piano sounded ever so much better than the AM radio, or the cheap stereos of the last part of my tutelege.  Piano is pretty, and a cheap stereo is merely a communication device teasing you with music you want to hear later played right.  
Perhaps your practice piano doesn't have an impressive sound.  My Mother's Everett was better than okay, and the teachers Sohmer grand was superb.  Look around for some inspiration.  Churches have old quality pianos in the fellowship hall they might let you play just for asking.  Especially if you tune it yourself (which I have done).