what do you do when you don't want to practice?

[cucudas]

what do you do when you know you have to practice but you dont want to practice?

[Kohai]

I practice

[melia]

Why don't you want to practice? I guess the determination to be the 'best player on the planet' makes me want to practice at least everyday.  You need discipline and motivation. Of course, if you feel mentally & physically tired, there's no point in practicing without a focused mind.  Take a break. Even a half hour to watch TV is fine. Sometimes, I put on some nice recording and close my eyes and just listen to the music or take a nice long walk in my park or even yoga! I actually start feeling better and I come to the piano feeling refreshed. I even feel guilty for not touching my piano, and feel a greater urge to practice after that. 

[Dazzer]

don't. obviously.

i don't feel there is a point in practising if you don't feel like it. just a waste of time.

of course, if you feel like that all the time, then there's a problem.

[bernhard]

I practice

Excellent.

[abell88]

I come to the Piano Forum...sigh 

[rhapsody in orange]

If I have to practise (let's say for an audition or performance) I'd wanna practise! There's always too little time for me.. so many things can be done better etc. On my usual days when I don't feel like practising, I'd do something else (come to pianoforum/surf the net) and I'd feel like practising after a while =)

[pizno]

Look for good deals on Ebay, read the forum, check my email.........and then get back to praciticing because I love practicing and there is NEVER enough time in the day!!!!  I HATE it when I can't find any time to practice at all.  My  family wishes I would spend less time practicing and more time doing things like making dinner.  But that is so mundane.  And there are such good restaurants nearby. 

[Mozartian]

I either practice, procrastinate, or attempt procrastination.
Sometimes- you just have to have a will of iron and make yourself practice.
It all comes down to how much you want it.

[anda]

sight-read.

or go shopping (when i can afford it )

[jhon]

don't. obviously.

i don't feel there is a point in practising if you don't feel like it. just a waste of time.

of course, if you feel like that all the time, then there's a problem.

I have a FIXED practice schedule which is from sunset to midnight - "the whole night" - so whether I feel like practicing or not, I establish to myself I had to do so.  (In this manner, I'm using more my HEAD (mind) than my mood; this is more rational.)  For this reason, I'm always struggling and rushing to do all non-piano stuff before sunset knowing I would be "jailed" in my piano when this time arrives.     

"Dazzer," you have a point in what you said above since we have a tendency to sound mechanical and "feelingless" when practicing "not in the mood" (and in the first place, music is about feelings; however, as far as I'm concerned, it's really UNSTABLE to rely on our BODILY MOODS (sense, emotion, disposition) and such is quite risky 'cause more often than not, our body is always after PLEASURE - and that is something NATURAL.  This is unless you're a MASOCHIST who derives pleasure from pain.  (BTW, the pleasure and pain I'm talking about here is PHYSICAL; thus, I might torture myself in the piano just to feel bad physically afterwards but "deep inside," I'm FULFILLED.   

In conclusion, practicing the piano for me is often an ironic activity in which "the soul is willing but the body is not." 

_________________________________________________________________

Music is the language of the soul. - L. van Beethoven

[thalbergmad]

If I don't practise i listen.

You can learn just as much if not more.

[JCarey]

Hello,

This is a new account. I was formerly Ludwig Van Rachabji. Anyway:

I will often visit this forum, and several others that I post in. However, most of my free time is spent composing. Since I practice for 4-5 hours, I will compose for about 3 or 4. However, when I'm not in the mood to practice or compose, I will play for pleasure. I really enjoy downloading sheetmusic off the Internet and sight-reading it.

When none of that appeals to me, I'll listen to CDs. Basically, there isn't a moment of my life that isn't devoted to music. And frankly, I prefer it that way.

John Carey

[laurenlynnette]

smoke a cigarette...    

Really, I don't like smoking that much.. And i'm a runner, about 3/4 miles a day.  But I started a year ago and now when I want to just have a break from practicing I'll smoke a cigarette....  oh, I know all you health people will hate me.  but it's great to just sit outside and relax.  
Of course it is playing with fire, literally...  but you know, to be a pianist you can't exactly be timid.  

[rob47]

shoot up some heroin.... 

Now that I've quit smoking, it was only a matter of time before the next most addictive thing tickled my fancy.

Seriously if you have to practice but don't want to, uhm....well there's not too much you can do about it except, practice, or go t oyour lesson and waste both you and your teacher's time. 

[aajjmb]

If I don't practise i listen.

You can learn just as much if not more.

oh i wish  you could but unfortunately you can't!  I'm yet to be able to play the rachmaninoff concertos/chopin etudes and i listen to music for at  least 4 hours a day.....

[nanabush]

If I'm not playing piano, which I do most of my free time, I'll go play soccer or football with friends... or just sit back and watch a bit of tv, but I seriously come to this forum every like 45 minutes, I'm always curious as to what ppl have posted...

[Barbosa-piano]

  If I had to practice I would practice, as I did many times. With one exception, when I had to practice Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G minor Op.23 No.5 (Alla marcia), I practiced for about 6 hours or more on Saturdays and Sundays, but during the week I had school, and had only about an hour a day or no time. It was for a test to enter the UIL Competition, and the problem was that I had been warned of it too late and picked the piece too late, therefore only had only 2 weeks and a half to practice. I went mad on the weekends of so much practice, having blisters on my fingers, and sore wrists from practicing those octaves. When I really didn't feel good for practicing, I involved myself in other piano related activities, watching videos, going through sheet music, and listening to recordings. If I don't feel good for physical practice, I try to do mental practice. 
                                                                     

[dreamplaying]

I left piano for 6 years because I got saturated thanks to marathonic concerts, puplic presentations, a poor piano learning environment,  the relationship with my prof became quite predictable....and everything converged to a serious lack of motivation....I did not want to even see my keyboard.

I think the main thing is keep your motivation and enthusiasm alive. Try always to find a nice environment to cultivate your piano culture, what is what keep you motivated....competitions,....,concerts,....videos,...., forum,....,what can make you feel pleasure when you play the piano?.  Anyway...I would also suggest to relax and forget the piano for one day if you feel really exhausted. A good rest is always reloaded Batteries to go on.

[Derek]

I just play when I feel like it....and fortunately I feel like it nearly every time I have a spare moment. This particular spare moment is an obvious exception. Can't play ALL day long.

[musicsdarkangel]

Play quake 3.

[Tash]

i have a break for however many days it takes to get into the right mood- i find it important that if i feel my pieces need a break then i give them a break- that might be a week which could be shock horror for some of you, but after that week my pieces tend to have been lifted to a new level, which wouldn't have happened if i hadn't given them some space.

[Jacey1973]

smoke a cigarette...    

Really, I don't like smoking that much.. And i'm a runner, about 3/4 miles a day.  But I started a year ago and now when I want to just have a break from practicing I'll smoke a cigarette....  oh, I know all you health people will hate me.  but it's great to just sit outside and relax.  
  

Hmmm i know the feeling...

[Alde]

I like to read bios on famous pianists.  I also like to watch DVDs of piano recitals.

On the other hand if I want to stay away from music, I would watch TV or a movie.

[happyface94]

So yesterday night I sat down, I opened my partition book. I saw in front of my eyes the dready Rach 1 1rst mouvement. I played for top 10 minutes before I was totally discouraged about my skills and went to eat an icecream.

This repeats for the past 3 weeks. (My teacher is totally avoiding me so i can't change it..)