Taking breaks

[GMatt]

Unfortunately, in the recent past I was forced to take a month long break from playing my mandolin. I pretty much have practiced at least a little bit everyday for the past three years when I started. The funny thing is, I finally got to play again and felt like I was better! Does this strike anyone as odd, or is this normal? I really noticed a difference in my skill from taking such a long break.

[mythicfish]

The old saying is that "Practice makes perfect"
However, it's only true if you practice perfectly.
Sometimes it good to lay out for a few days.
But If I don't practice for one day, I can tell the difference.
If I don't practice for 2 days, my guitar player can tell the difference.
If I don't practice for three days, anyone can tell the difference ... except for the banjo player.

[250sc]

Absolutely! Happens all the time. It seems that coming at it fresh after a break allows me to just play music, having forgotten how I would/should play something. For the last couple of years I've been switching between guitar and mandolin, which allows me enough time to get out of old habbits (ie. forget) and throws me into the deep end of the pool when I come back to it.

Mythicfish mentions noticing the difference after taking a few days off and I agree but normally everything falls back into place after a couple days of playing.

[fishdawg40]

I took off close to 3 years (other post I said close to 2, I was wrong). #I feel good about my playing. #I feel more uninhibited and feel I have not lost was I attained in the past. #Sure I was rusty and forgot songs, but in three weeks of playing I think I gained it all back. #The reason I quit was i nedded to focus on school. #I have a hard time dedicating myself fully to two things so I dropped the mando. #Maybe I grew in that period and my mind became more astute (I should hope)? #Bottom line is that I feel better and more confident about taking the enedeavor into the world of the mandolin; now's all I need is a good axe... #

Anyways, I'm glad to be playing mandolin again and hangin' with my Mandolin Cafe Compadres...

[Santiago]

I find that I learn any type of new physical skills such as mando techniques, golf swings, or juggling best in 15-minute concentrated efforts, and clearing my head afterward for at least the same period of time lets me achieve much more. I think limiting the time prevents me from developing bad habbits as I tire, and clearing my head allows deeper focus. I'm no biologist but perhaps learning eventually maxes out use of available brain cells, and taking a month off might let them catch up, so I'm not surprised. Hey I took off 20 years from violin and then applied it to my mando playing, and I was surprised at what I retained.

[farmerjones]

i absolutely believe that taking a break does something positive for me, but i can't tell you exactly what. It's like i know how to learn "this way." Who knows if it's the best? I'll work on an intricate tune for short periods. Ten minutes max. Then at least a 24hr. break. It must have to sink in. I work on chops and play tunes i know eighteen hours a week. When i want to stop i will. Hasn't happened for several years.

scaired of withdrawl symptoms http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Santiago]

A new syndrome, Mandolin Withdrawl! What are the symptoms?

[gnelson651]

I practiced the banjo daily #for 3 years, quit for 30 years and came back to it to find I can still play it as badly as I did 30 years ago.

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