So much in this one! We need to cultivate boredom, definitely. Also reminds me of a book my wife started reading recently: "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth. Apparently it's based on interviews and research, about the power of repetition, sticking with it and, well, grit. Have you heard of / read it?
Thank you Ben! I have of course read that book and think she makes some great points, however it can also be the wrong medicine (IMO). I would say Grit is helpful but I also find that we have to be careful about forcing ourselves to suffer too much. What I'm talking about here is taking a patient approach. We have to quell the ego's need for instant results, satisfaction, etc. and instead enjoy the steady path of gradual progress by just showing up. If you are miserable practicing, you may need to take a month off or find a new thing to learn rather than press forward at all costs. It's maybe a subtle difference but to me it's huge. My brain learns best when I go slow and find the enjoyment of being with the practice and unattached to immediate benefits. I trust they will come now in surprising and deep ways.
Great piece, Dave. Plenty of solid advice to incorporate into my daily practice.
I had been teaching myself piano via YouTube vids and Hanon exercises. I found myself worrying about hand position, posture, etc… but seven days ago I subscribed to Pianote. Game changer for me. I’ve learned so much by utilizing a more focused building block strategy plus I’m having more fun practicing knowing I’m approaching things with a new methodical vision. I’m kind of shocked how much better my playing/understanding has developed over the last week.
Excellent! Yes it's great to find a structure you believe in. All of your work is adding up, even the unstructured practice but of course I'm a fan of dialing in a routine for a stretch. It's also amazing to me what you can accomplish in a 10 minute burst twice a day rather than 45 min longer session.
So much in this one! We need to cultivate boredom, definitely. Also reminds me of a book my wife started reading recently: "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth. Apparently it's based on interviews and research, about the power of repetition, sticking with it and, well, grit. Have you heard of / read it?
Thank you Ben! I have of course read that book and think she makes some great points, however it can also be the wrong medicine (IMO). I would say Grit is helpful but I also find that we have to be careful about forcing ourselves to suffer too much. What I'm talking about here is taking a patient approach. We have to quell the ego's need for instant results, satisfaction, etc. and instead enjoy the steady path of gradual progress by just showing up. If you are miserable practicing, you may need to take a month off or find a new thing to learn rather than press forward at all costs. It's maybe a subtle difference but to me it's huge. My brain learns best when I go slow and find the enjoyment of being with the practice and unattached to immediate benefits. I trust they will come now in surprising and deep ways.
Interesting! I’ve only read the back cover of the book so far, but your distinction is indeed important.
cool, let me know what you think. I'd be curious to know.
Great piece, Dave. Plenty of solid advice to incorporate into my daily practice.
I had been teaching myself piano via YouTube vids and Hanon exercises. I found myself worrying about hand position, posture, etc… but seven days ago I subscribed to Pianote. Game changer for me. I’ve learned so much by utilizing a more focused building block strategy plus I’m having more fun practicing knowing I’m approaching things with a new methodical vision. I’m kind of shocked how much better my playing/understanding has developed over the last week.
Excellent! Yes it's great to find a structure you believe in. All of your work is adding up, even the unstructured practice but of course I'm a fan of dialing in a routine for a stretch. It's also amazing to me what you can accomplish in a 10 minute burst twice a day rather than 45 min longer session.
If you'd like to see my snare drum practice videos, leave a comment or send me a message and I'll share them with you. Warning: They are boring!