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Topic: Practice when tired?  (Read 7535 times)

Offline richardparkokay

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Practice when tired?
on: April 29, 2017, 03:25:04 AM
Should one practice when they are tired?

In sports, I know people like Michael Phelps do mile lap swimming even though he is exhausted. That's why he's the best. He perseveres. So I've adopted the thinking that practicing even when tired - ignoring your emotions and going through will make you a great whatever. Today, I realized my mindset with this analogy is undermining me and I am being very foolish comparing something related to -sports- to music! Or am I?

Just want to hear your thoughts. Feel free to note past experiences about this. Can't wait to learn something new today  :P

Offline dogperson

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #1 on: April 29, 2017, 04:57:33 AM
 Everyone is different.  I'm not sure why you find practicing when tired undermines you, but if it does, don't do it. For me, I don't find tiredness to be an issue:   If I didn't practice when I'm tired, I would hardly ever practice,  so I don't let that be a factor.  I've made a commitment to myself to practice every day, regardless of how I feel.


 What matters to me is whether I can focus. If I have mental energy, that Keeps me going regardless of the physical energy.

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #2 on: April 29, 2017, 09:02:02 AM
These days most people are mentally tired after work.  No point practicing then unless it's some mindess Hanon-type thing.
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Offline Bob

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #3 on: April 29, 2017, 03:56:35 PM
Yep.  I haven't figured out a way around fatigue.  What I have seen is things can get worse.  Some time in the future you might need to keep working while that fatigued and that level you're at now might become an "easier" level or even standard.  Which means.... Push through it now and expect it will get worse in the future and this isn't much compared to the future.

And then realistic planning, priorities, trying not to let that happen in the future, etc....  I still end up tired though.
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline c_minor

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #4 on: April 29, 2017, 07:33:50 PM
These days most people are mentally tired after work.  No point practicing then unless it's some mindess Hanon-type thing.

Agreed, especially with the emphasis on the word mentally. I've been doing a lot of heavy reading for school lately, and I haven't practiced for days as I'm too tired to focus on what to practice.

In your Phelps example, I think that he's training for endurance. Not sure though (I'm not a swimmer  :P).

Offline dogperson

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #5 on: April 29, 2017, 11:36:31 PM
Agreed, especially with the emphasis on the word mentally. I've been doing a lot of heavy reading for school lately, and I haven't practiced for days as I'm too tired to focus on what to practice.

In your Phelps example, I think that he's training for endurance. Not sure though (I'm not a swimmer  :P).


 If I waited till I was not mentally tired, I would never practice as I am continually mentally tired from work. My workday will often start at 4 or 5 AM,  and involves constant mental work. In spite of this,I practice every day and decide before I sit down what segments I will focus on during the practice session.  I Limit my practice time to small segments  which include breaks in between.  It is critical for me to define exactly what  I want to do during each segment.   

we each handle this differently.... but I make myself focus on the music and the goal to be accomplished.  If I can ever quit my day job, I could be more flexible.  It is what it is, for now.

Offline richardparkokay

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #6 on: May 01, 2017, 02:55:05 AM
Mentally tired and physically tired.. Seems like they're their own separate dimensions.

For me, I become physically tired and have the urge to fall asleep. The advice I was handed just a while ago was to take a nap, and when you get efficient sleep, then start attacking your practice.

I have found this advice to be significantly helpful - at least to a adolescent. Still, I can't keep the consistency to practice everyday. I don't rely on motivation to fuel my productivity -- I just try to get myself on the piano and play. But sometimes I'm not mentally tired or physically tired and still, my brain decides to hit the snooze button. (not for sleep, but I procrastinate.) I try to eliminate all my distractions but somehow I just find myself fiddling with something or whatever. As a teenager, I have no idea how but I can easily occupy myself with something. I know this is not relevant, but I just want to mention it. I might make a subject on this, actually. I have no idea how those professionals go 8 hours+ everyday and I'm here trying my very hardest to focus for a hour. I do take breaks but not too often.

Offline dogperson

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #7 on: May 01, 2017, 08:27:54 AM
Mentally tired and physically tired.. Seems like they're their own separate dimensions.

For me, I become physically tired and have the urge to fall asleep. The advice I was handed just a while ago was to take a nap, and when you get efficient sleep, then start attacking your practice.

I have found this advice to be significantly helpful - at least to a adolescent. Still, I can't keep the consistency to practice everyday. I don't rely on motivation to fuel my productivity -- I just try to get myself on the piano and play. But sometimes I'm not mentally tired or physically tired and still, my brain decides to hit the snooze button. (not for sleep, but I procrastinate.) I try to eliminate all my distractions but somehow I just find myself fiddling with something or whatever. As a teenager, I have no idea how but I can easily occupy myself with something. I know this is not relevant, but I just want to mention it. I might make a subject on this, actually. I have no idea how those professionals go 8 hours+ everyday and I'm here trying my very hardest to focus for a hour. I do take breaks but not too often.


 It's not just teenagers that have a hard time, but adults as well.   Your post states that you do not rely on motivation, but yet you don't practice consistently. So are you not truly relying on motivation?   Practice just needs to become a habit.   I do have a couple of suggestions that you might try:  
-  schedule a time to practice. the commitment should not be for an hour, but just to sit down at the piano for a few minutes.   Start out by playing something just for fun that you enjoy and see whether then you can sustain it into practice time.   If you can't on a given day, fine. Get up and leave: you have made a commitment.  
-  if you have more energy after a nap, consider  scheduling  right after the nap every day.  The key is you want to make it a habit.
- don't try to play for an hour, as that may be too long of a commitment.  You will see improvement if you just practice for 30 minutes every day, so make a commitment just to sit down and play every day without a minimum time limit.  It is better to have shorter, consistent daily practice, then longer practice that does not happen consistently
-  decide before you sit down what you want to get accomplished in a 15 minute interval of time .   After you complete that 15?minutes get up, and come back after a short break or  work on another  15 minute commitment.   You can get a lot done if you can just focus for a short period.

Your problems about procrastination and being tired are not unique to being a teenager ----  no matter what your age or whether you are going to school or working, we all have the same issues about making the commitment to practice whether or not we feel motivated.   None of that changes.   I wish I could tell you it gets easier but it doesn't.  


Offline mike_lang

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #8 on: May 01, 2017, 12:56:31 PM
Should one practice when they are tired?

In sports, I know people like Michael Phelps do mile lap swimming even though he is exhausted. That's why he's the best. He perseveres. So I've adopted the thinking that practicing even when tired - ignoring your emotions and going through will make you a great whatever. Today, I realized my mindset with this analogy is undermining me and I am being very foolish comparing something related to -sports- to music! Or am I?

Just want to hear your thoughts. Feel free to note past experiences about this. Can't wait to learn something new today  :P

Not a great idea. One need be alert to make deliberate choices and consciously program your muscle memory . . . otherwise, one engrains mistakes and accidents . . .

Offline richardparkokay

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #9 on: May 04, 2017, 02:56:55 AM

-  if you have more energy after a nap, consider  scheduling  right after the nap every day.  The key is you want to make it a habit.
- don't try to play for an hour, as that may be too long of a commitment.  You will see improvement if you just practice for 30 minutes every day, so make a commitment just to sit down and play every day without a minimum time limit.  It is better to have shorter, consistent daily practice, then longer practice that does not happen consistently
-  decide before you sit down what you want to get accomplished in a 15 minute interval of time .   After you complete that 15?minutes get up, and come back after a short break or  work on another  15 minute commitment.   You can get a lot done if you can just focus for a short period.
Wow, I didn't know adults had it hard too. I did some research on consistent practice and all that really needs to happen is to ingrain habits into my daily routine. It seems very difficult however, so I've already got a book coming tomorrow all about building good habits and destroying bad habits. You might find it unconventional that I rely on books (usually for relatively everything) but its how I can understand things better. Before, I was practicing usually around 10-30 minutes a day, and often I only practiced like 3 days a week. I, from there, tried to make myself do an hour everyday. As you would expect, I was exhausted(both mentally and physically) in the sense of not having the motivation to go on. YES!- I know motivation is bad and that was a bad experience. But I learned something from that now.

 
Everyone is different.  I'm not sure why you find practicing when tired undermines you, but if it does, don't do it. For me, I don't find tiredness to be an issue:   If I didn't practice when I'm tired, I would hardly ever practice,  so I don't let that be a factor.  I've made a commitment to myself to practice every day, regardless of how I feel.


 What matters to me is whether I can focus. If I have mental energy, that Keeps me going regardless of the physical energy.
I THOUGHT practicing when tired undermines me because I won't be more focused and any practice after being unfocused is practically useless. On top of that, my teacher believes practicing when tired is not such a great idea. I am starting to see that this is very subject.

Also, I have realized that tiredness - is unquenchable. No matter how much I sleep, it will never be enough anyway. E.g, I had like 9 hours a sleep and I woke up very late today, barely being able to get ready for school. No matter how much I sleep, I always feel tired. It might be a diet problem or something, actually. Might have to fret about with that.

I'm still having trouble ingraining habits, but as always, everyone is. For now, I just sit at the piano everyday at least. I think building habits is about building blocks. You can't run till you learn how to walk.

Offline c_minor

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #10 on: May 04, 2017, 05:10:27 AM
Also, I have realized that tiredness - is unquenchable. No matter how much I sleep, it will never be enough anyway. E.g, I had like 9 hours a sleep and I woke up very late today, barely being able to get ready for school. No matter how much I sleep, I always feel tired. It might be a diet problem or something, actually. Might have to fret about with that.

have you tried exercising or stretching before practicing? If i remember correctly from a book by Klickstein (The Musician's Way), he recommended some exercises to do before/after practicing. You might want to check that.

Offline louispodesta

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #11 on: May 05, 2017, 10:52:00 PM


 If I waited till I was not mentally tired, I would never practice as I am continually mentally tired from work. My workday will often start at 4 or 5 AM,  and involves constant mental work. In spite of this,I practice every day and decide before I sit down what segments I will focus on during the practice session.  I Limit my practice time to small segments  which include breaks in between.  It is critical for me to define exactly what  I want to do during each segment.   

we each handle this differently.... but I make myself focus on the music and the goal to be accomplished.  If I can ever quit my day job, I could be more flexible.  It is what it is, for now.


Yeah team!  Yeah team!

I usually wake up every morning tired from my bizarre dreams, which sometimes include phrase sections from current pieces.  However, every pianist's fatigue varies from person to person.

In summary, if you are physically tired, then rest.  If you do practice when your muscles are tired, then you will eventually injure yourself.

Otherwise (paraphrasing what was stated above), those black circles under my eyes very evident in my video, come with the territory.

Offline richardparkokay

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #12 on: May 07, 2017, 08:08:51 PM
have you tried exercising or stretching before practicing? If i remember correctly from a book by Klickstein (The Musician's Way), he recommended some exercises to do before/after practicing. You might want to check that.
I have the book, got it like two months ago. I only read the first portion of the book (practice). I didn't want to start on the second or third until it seemed relevant. However, I might have to start on the second portion soon (performance) as I am performing more often now..
If I remember to stretch before I play, I do it. But if it doesn't enter my mind.. well, that's fine. I'm trying to practice "playing cold," from the Piano Fundamentals book. A book filled with wisdom.. but the choice of words is so odd!
I usually wake up every morning tired from my bizarre dreams, which sometimes include phrase sections from current pieces.  However, every pianist's fatigue varies from person to person.

In summary, if you are physically tired, then rest.  If you do practice when your muscles are tired, then you will eventually injure yourself.

Otherwise (paraphrasing what was stated above), those black circles under my eyes very evident in my video, come with the territory.
So, if I am not physically tired I should still practice? I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly. I don't think it's productive!

Offline dogperson

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #13 on: May 07, 2017, 10:43:58 PM
Per your original post, you are always tired and you are not practicing.  You have been offered several suggestions by different members on this forum to deal with the tiredness, and it does not seem like you have really done any of them.   

Therefore, you have several options and you will need to choose:
- look at ways to deal with the tiredness so that you can make time for  practice.  Exercise and stretching was offered as a suggestion but  your response was that you stretch when you think about it.  Are you planning to try exercise and stretching consistently?
- Don't try to deal with the tiredness,  but practice anyway 
- don't deal with the tiredness and don't practice because you wouldn't consider it to be productive if you are tired

No one can choose the route for you, but you. You need to decide for yourself  how important practicing is to you and what you're planning to do about it. ....or rather you decide to continue in the status quo by being too tired and not practicing. 

Offline outin

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #14 on: May 07, 2017, 11:23:48 PM
If you sleep for 9 hours but are still always tired you need help from a doctor, not this forum. There's either something wrong with your sleep or with your health ( can be physical or mental such as depression).

Unless you are not really tired all the time but rather lethargic...that may be your nature. I am like that, extremely lazy by nature so I always have to force myself to start things no matter how much I like doing them. Getting up from the bed in the morning requires all my willpower...

After work all I want to do is lie down and not do anything. It does not help that moving is painful half of the time. Yet I somehow manage to practice piano minimum 7 hours a week. It's not always enough, but it keeps me going.

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #15 on: May 08, 2017, 06:21:22 AM
@outin - sounds like your diet.  Try grain free for a couple of weeks.
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Offline outin

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #16 on: May 08, 2017, 01:45:15 PM
@outin - sounds like your diet.  Try grain free for a couple of weeks.

I am already avoiding grain as well as many other things. I just have a disease that the doctors don't know how to deal with. I have good days and bad days and it's seemingly random...

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #17 on: May 08, 2017, 04:43:30 PM
Nothing fermented.
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Offline outin

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #18 on: May 09, 2017, 03:16:43 AM
Nothing fermented.
Definitely not.

In fact it would be best not to eat anything...the only problem is that one ends up dead...

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #19 on: May 09, 2017, 07:20:55 AM
You could only eat apples for a week.  Make sure you peel them.
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Offline outin

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #20 on: May 09, 2017, 12:44:07 PM
You could only eat apples for a week.  Make sure you peel them.
Cannot. I am allergic to apples.

Offline lostinidlewonder

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #21 on: May 09, 2017, 02:17:56 PM
Should one practice when they are tired?

It depends what you mean by tired since this would have various degrees of answers. If you really are tired and exhausted you should go to sleep and rest what is the point in pushing yourself? If you are tired but must practice then you are not delegating your energies throughout the day appropriately to allow for practice you need to reassess your daily timetable. If you are just a little tired and feel lazy to practice then you need to learn how to motivate yourself to practice more and not be so undisciplined you really wont get anywhere if you only practice when you are totally motivated or with full energy (in fact you may even have energy to practice but trick yourself into feeling tired).

There really is little point in practicing if you are exhausted because what you get through wont really be efficient practice and you wont really retain much. However in saying this while you are actively practicing you should not just stop if you start to feel tired, you should really push your mental stamina just that little bit every time and not give up. I once studied piano for 9 hours a day for a couple months (not something I'd suggest) but I did find that after the first week or two of doing it it became a lot easier. If you push yourself you do become accustomed to it, it can be beneficial if you have deadlines (exams, competitions, performances etc) to work with or want to increase your practice stamina.
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Offline richardparkokay

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #22 on: May 14, 2017, 03:13:29 AM
You have been offered several suggestions by different members on this forum to deal with the tiredness, and it does not seem like you have really done any of them.   
- look at ways to deal with the tiredness so that you can make time for  practice.  Exercise and stretching was offered as a suggestion but  your response was that you stretch when you think about it.  Are you planning to try exercise and stretching consistently?
- Don't try to deal with the tiredness,  but practice anyway 
- don't deal with the tiredness and don't practice because you wouldn't consider it to be productive if you are tired

No one can choose the route for you, but you. You need to decide for yourself  how important practicing is to you and what you're planning to do about it. ....or rather you decide to continue in the status quo by being too tired and not practicing. 
Sorry if I seemed like I wasn't really considering anyone's advice. I used to exercise before playing, without a choice, though. It was more of a sport - competitive swimming - and after I did  practice, when I hopped onto the bench, I couldn't help but lose my focus after 30-45 minutes. I know time is a terrible indicator of productivity. I have also done stretching before playing, does not seem to affect me at all. I will continue doing it though, as I've heard it can make your body really flexible. That seems like something I would like as a benefit aside from the piano.

It depends what you mean by tired since this would have various degrees of answers. If you really are tired and exhausted you should go to sleep and rest what is the point in pushing yourself? If you are tired but must practice then you are not delegating your energies throughout the day appropriately to allow for practice you need to reassess your daily timetable. If you are just a little tired and feel lazy to practice then you need to learn how to motivate yourself to practice more and not be so undisciplined you really wont get anywhere if you only practice when you are totally motivated or with full energy (in fact you may even have energy to practice but trick yourself into feeling tired).

There really is little point in practicing if you are exhausted because what you get through wont really be efficient practice and you wont really retain much. However in saying this while you are actively practicing you should not just stop if you start to feel tired, you should really push your mental stamina just that little bit every time and not give up. I once studied piano for 9 hours a day for a couple months (not something I'd suggest) but I did find that after the first week or two of doing it it became a lot easier. If you push yourself you do become accustomed to it, it can be beneficial if you have deadlines (exams, competitions, performances etc) to work with or want to increase your practice stamina.
This answer was very helpful. One question - I don't know how people can go so long practicing like 9 hours. I have found out that, often I would think I'm tired, but in reality I was really bored with practicing and was exhausted with the material. Exhausted, in this case, means 'done with these songs after analyzing and deliberately trying to dramatize the mood of the piece/whatever you consider productive'
Practice stamina is a very interesting topic. I'm reading a book currently and it says that willpower is a finite source- HOWEVER, it can become larger. Discipline seems to plays a big role in practicing consistently and for a long period of time. I think I have to make myself gulp down like 5 hours a day. It'll make me really exhausted the first few weeks, then after a while, I'll have accustomed to it with a larger 'practice stamina'/willpower/self-discipline, what have you. I think that's the right way to approach this problem.

Anyways, everyone's reply to this was solid gold. Even the apple part 

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #23 on: May 14, 2017, 06:55:30 AM
5 hours a day sure sounds like a waste of a life.  45 minutes followed by a 15 minute break is best - and not too many in one day.  I mean, you have to ask yourself when do you actually have time to experience music?  Music's a bit like enlightenment - you can't hunt it down!
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Offline dogperson

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #24 on: May 14, 2017, 07:32:06 AM
5 hours a day sure sounds like a waste of a life.  45 minutes followed by a 15 minute break is best - and not too many in one day.  I mean, you have to ask yourself when do you actually have time to experience music?  Music's a bit like enlightenment - you can't hunt it down!


discipline is the key to practicing, but I could think of no reason why you need to be practicing for Five hours a day.  You should  take a little time  to do some reading about effective practice which means you practice  on the parts that need it  in a systematic way, leaving those sections alone that do not need to practice.  Practice a small amount every day, not five hours every day.  There is a ton of information on this website, the Internet and books  about  how to practice.

Offline lostinidlewonder

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #25 on: May 15, 2017, 11:20:08 AM
One question - I don't know how people can go so long practicing like 9 hours. I have found out that, often I would think I'm tired, but in reality I was really bored with practicing and was exhausted with the material. Exhausted, in this case, means 'done with these songs after analyzing and deliberately trying to dramatize the mood of the piece/whatever you consider productive'
Yes even with long periods of study you have to know how you are practicing and what you are achieving, it is not just about brute force repeating over and over and over again, that would be mind numbing and very difficult for anyone to put up with for long periods of time. Being able to practice extended time requires a sharp practice method where you are busy considering what work you need to get through and how you are going about doing it in a mindful manner. When practicing in this manner time seems to speed by very fast. I get this in many lessons I have with students. When I have a student who is mindfully practicing with me in a lesson the time flies past without really noticing, before we know it the lesson has ended and we have got through a lot of work. Other students who have very bad practice method, who are constantly distracted in lessons, who can't focus, who struggle to get through routines etc, you notice how slow time is passing by and how little you really do get through.

I try not to consider time when practicing but rather what I need to get through with students or myself, I get busy in dealing with the problems we face and how we go about solving it. It is too difficult to say in words how to do this because each situation is different, different pieces provide different challenges for different hands and minds, but mindful practice and avoiding reliance on brute force repetitions (some of it is ok but it shouldn't be your first and foremost approach) is what you need.

Practice stamina is a very interesting topic. I'm reading a book currently and it says that willpower is a finite source- HOWEVER, it can become larger. Discipline seems to plays a big role in practicing consistently and for a long period of time.
Focus and concentration is something I work with my students a lot, many of them are developing these kind of skills being very young but even adults require sometimes assistance to develop this of course. Adults are more difficult to deal with because almost all of them have tried to improve their focus over the years and know how tough it is and how easy it is to lose focus. Many adults also have families to look after and 100 distractions every day in their life so lifestyle and environment certainly can play a part.

I think I have to make myself gulp down like 5 hours a day. It'll make me really exhausted the first few weeks, then after a while, I'll have accustomed to it with a larger 'practice stamina'/willpower/self-discipline, what have you. I think that's the right way to approach this problem.
I think if you have a reason to practice a lot then this gives you a good reason to put many hours into your work, but try not to consider time as a measurement of your success but rather what you can get through. Be sure not to tackle works where you make snail progress with many hours invested into practice routines. Choose appropriate repertoire which allows you to learn in an efficient manner is quite paramount. Learning 10 pieces is almost always more valuable than 1 difficult piece.
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Offline richardparkokay

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #26 on: May 18, 2017, 04:11:18 AM
A lot of people are saying that my idea (to practice 5 hours straight) is not such a great idea. [I'm not gonna hunt down all the quotes, I need to sleep soon and I find it difficult to have time to post on the forum]
After all the reading, I suppose everyone is right. Practicing for so long for someone considerably inexperienced seems too rough and close to impossible to tolerate. I just - really desire to play piano. I want to be a pianist that can, with great prowess, share music with other people ; even though I may not be able to become a artist.. (my mother is not fond of the idea, after all I just started at 13 years.. not to mention they do not get good pay) I aspire to be a pianist that can.. it's really hard to explain, but the best way I can put it is to.. yeah I'll stop there   ;D Basically, I want to play piano very well and share my feelings? with the audience.
Another theory - however foolish! - I am focusing too much on practice and should just enjoy the journey. Still, I want to be more than just an exceptional pianist - I want to play difficult songs because they are fun and enjoyable! But maybe that dream is only available to kids who start really young. How else could someone practice for so long and so productively?
Yes, I've read multiple books and articles and websites on deliberate/productive/systematic practice. I am still learning to deal with such tough, objective practice.
My question is, how can I slowly increase my ability to tolerate long periods of practice or just practicing a lot? Even if I have a lot of material to go through, after a while I just don't want to play. (mental exhaustion) Someone told me, when you are tired with practicing and you push harder to practice more is where you can increase your tolerance for practicing a lot. Is that even true?
@lostinidlewonder Time does go by when I practice, but when I mindfully practice, I can't tolerate practicing for more than hour/maybe 2 hours. I try to work on mindful practice and when I do work on repetitions, I focus on trying to make the repetition more better every time and I focus on the objective. Unlike Hanon exercises.. where you just cycle the hands through again and again. My repetitions, whenever I do them, are usually of measures that I have trouble on/etc, such as trills in Mozart's C Major Sonata.. (could really use advice on them. I tried forearm rotation, but can only achieve it with the left hand, which is irrelevant to the piece) It's a speed wall. So incorrect technique..
I do have good reason to practice a lot - I can always improve. That is my attitude (and it is in a positive matter, sorta ) When I fail to make the piece sound like I want - I can get a little frustrated. Anyone can relate?
I have digressed a little here and there, going off topic. Sorry about that.
Again, I'd like to show my appreciation for all the delightful and helpful answers.

Offline bernadette60614

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Re: Practice when tired?
Reply #27 on: May 20, 2017, 04:29:31 PM
I work out for an hour every day..7 days a week...tired or not.  Working out just clears my mind and I never, ever regret a work out.

Practice is the same.  I never ever regret practicing.  I find it best when I'm really tired just to focus on very slow practice on sections which I find most difficult. When I'm fully rested, I tend to be impatient with reworking sections slowly.
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