What do you do when you're Just. Not. Feeling it?

[BadExampleMan]

You ever have a time when you're not enjoying playing very much? I feel like I've plateaued lately - not making good progress on new tunes, not improving much on tunes I already know, my fingers just seem to tangle themselves whenever I try to improvise, etc. etc.

What do you do to power through those times?

[UsuallyPickin]

Take some lessons. A good teacher can help with a nudge in the right direction for your style and level of ability. We have all been there ... be patient and play on.... R/

[Woyvel]

Try something totally unfamiliar, like playing, or just listening to, music in different genres, maybe not even usually associated with mandolin. If you're accustomed to learning by ear, maybe try to do some reading in TAB or traditional notation. Maybe a different tuning might re-inspire you. Or pick up another instrument.

[Bob Clark]

This is one of the reasons I have multiple mandolin-family instruments (flat- vs arch-top, piccolo mandolin, mandola, OM). When I experience the ennui you are describing, I pick up the instrument I have most been neglecting and give it a go. That almost never fails for me. I may also choose one of my favorite music books in a genre I have been neglecting and return to some music I love but have not played in a while. Together, these two things haven't failed me yet.

[Callum Murray]

I agree with Woyvel, trying unfamiliar stuff works.
I also sometimes dramatically reduce practice time. I'll do just 3 - 5 mins each day but with complete focus. This stops me getting frustrated and practicing mistakes.

[Tim Logan]

For me that can occur if my enthusiasm to learn gets ahead of me. I solve it by stepping back and focusing intently on one particular skill or technique. I work on that technique with an emphasis of making it as musically satisfying as possible. I also play or practice in 15 minute segments as Pete Martin advices. Those two things keep me pretty much in the right frame of mind.

[bigskygirl]

All good advice, I’ll add that sometimes you need to step away and take a few days/weeks and do something else. The time away might re-energize you when you’re ready to start playing again.

[Sue Rieter]

For me that can occur if my enthusiasm to learn gets ahead of me.

This is a big problem for me. When I went to Vermont to get my Strad-O-Lin set up and heard how good it sounded in the hands of someone with a high skill level, i felt very frustrated and impatient about where I am currently. I try to remember something I heard on this board somewhere "To sound like you've been playing for ten years takes about 120 months". Also on Mandolessons.com "See how far you've come". Patience, practice, patience, practice. A challenge.

Focusing on one skill is a good idea. There are so many I need/want, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Sue

[tmsweeney]

Bigskygirl- I'm right there with you - I do find if put it down for a while ( sometimes more than a day, usually not intentionally just the rest of life is hungrier at the moment) but when I pick it back up, the joy returns.

Or listen to something you haven't or even go back to an old favorite you hadn't heard in a while.

This sticky Northeastern summer isn't helping either, staying in tune is elusive, and that doesn't help either.
I try to get up early when its still cool and so far that is working, but slept in the last few days..

[Tim Logan]

This is a big problem for me. When I went to Vermont to get my Strad-O-Lin set up and heard how good it sounded in the hands of someone with a high skill level, i felt very frustrated and impatient about where I am currently. I try to remember something I heard on this board somewhere "To sound like you've been playing for ten years takes about 120 months". Also on Mandolessons.com "See how far you've come". Patience, practice, patience, practice. A challenge.

Focusing on one skill is a good idea. There are so many I need/want, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Sue

Hi Sue -
I completely understand! Here are some thoughts I have. I have worked hard at eliminating the "someday I will be able to do that" syndrome. I have encouraged myself to get "beauty out of every single note". Maybe that sounds corny, but even one single plucked note can be played either poorly and thoughtlessly - or with focus, emotion, and beauty. I can get total joy out of the latter - and that inspires me! It is a very worn out phrase, but I think it is true: it is the process that provides the wonder, the enjoyment, the enthusiasm. Just mussing.........!

[ajh]

Hi Sue -
I completely understand! Here are some thoughts I have. I have worked hard at eliminating the "someday I will be able to do that" syndrome. I have encouraged myself to get "beauty out of every single note". Maybe that sounds corny, but even one single plucked note can be played either poorly and thoughtlessly - or with focus, emotion, and beauty. I can get total joy out of the latter - and that inspires me! It is a very worn out phrase, but I think it is true: it is the process that provides the wonder, the enjoyment, the enthusiasm. Just mussing.........!

Agree totally with this. What I have found is similar. I go back to a tune I really like but haven't played in awhile. Breeze through it....then slowly take it back apart and try to make every note clean. If you are paying attention you will see how hard that is. Gets your focus back.....and when you do nail it you know it. In itself exciting.

[JeffD]

Go to a jam and play with other people.

[onassis]

Personally, I don't sweat it much. I've been through so many up/down playing cycles that I know it will be back soon enough. No need to force anything, IMHO. Enjoy doing other things for a few days/weeks. It's just part of the process.

[chasray]

What helps me is to slow everything down. Way down. Then build back up gradually while enjoying being relaxed. That might not make sense but it helps me.

[Pete Martin]

A few days off sometimes does wonders...

[JeffD]

When I do not feel motivated I check in with my philosophy.

Am I comparing myself with others, instead of comparing myself with where I was?
Do i have some kind of crazy idea a of an inappropriate performance goal, when I know all I really want to is to chase beauty and play music with friends?

Then I go back to noodling and practicing. Just making pretty sounds on the mandolin.


Another idea to kick re-start motivation, for me, is to purchase a tune book. A new tune book waiting to be explored is a gigantic motivator.

[Kevin Winn]

Go play your guitar for a couple days...

[Bertram Henze]

Plateaus are neccessary phases of procedural memory reorganization. Once that is done, a sudden leap in ability is sure to come, if you just don't give up.
It's much like that "weeds" scene from African Queen (https://youtu.be/Zg_4wJZakQM?t=4548)- open water is near.

[Jacob]

Put the instrument down. Step away. Take a break. Focus on something else: a different instrument, an art project, a book you've been meaning to read, a new recipe to try, the movie on your watch list, whatever. Come back refreshed and resume your journey.

[yankees1]

You ever have a time when you're not enjoying playing very much? I feel like I've plateaued lately - not making good progress on new tunes, not improving much on tunes I already know, my fingers just seem to tangle themselves whenever I try to improvise, etc. etc.

What do you do to power through those times?

Time for a break ! May be over practicing ! After a brief break I seem to improve !

[Eric Platt]

Agree with some others here, plateaus happen. All the above suggestions are good and have done them. And sometimes it's just enough to go back to the basic tunes you first learned and just play them again. To try to re-capture the joy of being able to get a string of notes out that sound something like music. Just turn the brain off and pick.

FWIW, was hitting a wall recently and just seeing Howard Rains on Facebook playing some tunes from Cole's on mandolin helped get me working on stuff again. It didn't hurt that he gets a great tone from him Kalamazoo KM-11.

[BrianWilliam]

Pick up a fiddle: when I do, it makes me feel really good about my mandolin playing :)

[John Flynn]

I think your question of "how do you power through" is not the right question. There are some times you can "power through" for a short period of time, but you pay for it in the long run. I have those times when I'm not into it. I can only say what has helped me.

Remember that unless you are trying to be or become a pro, this is supposed to be fun and fulfilling. If it's not, it's not. Go with that and don't worry about it. If you are having fun, you will do it. If you're not, go do something that is fun and come back to it later.
My biggest motivator is performing and preparing for performing. If I am in a music ensemble, I find prepping for practices and performances keeps me really focused.
Another motivator is lessons. If I am working with an instructor I respect, I want to come back the next week and show him progress.
I like the advice given about changing things up. I have gotten out of funks by trying new instruments and different kinds of music. There are so many great possibilities out there.
One thing that has dawned on me after way too long a time is that listening is practicing. If you don't feel like playing, get some recordings and listen to them, a lot. That gets in your head and when you get back to your instrument, it finds its way into your hands.

[Simon DS]

If I don’t feel it, I take an hour off.
I put on a pair of shorts and the anxiety is already building up.

Then I go for a long run, often make it an hour and a half.
Get back, rehydrate and set the metronome to very, real, extremely slow, and film the performance.

By this time I’m too tired to mess up.
-whatever works for you.

[Joel Glassman]

What helps me is to slow everything down. Way down. Then build back up gradually while enjoying being relaxed. That might not make sense but it helps me.

Yes. Makes a lot of sense. Slow it down to where you have complete control over the notes and timing. Then gradually increase it to the speed where it sounds best.

[Joe Bartl]

Something I learned a long time ago:

187847

[lowtone2]

Change. Strings.

[Bunnyf]

If I’m looking for motivation, I listen to music. I might work on some tiny goal, like learning a little lick. If I need a complete break from playing, I clean up my music library.

[Joel Glassman]

Pick up a fiddle: when I do, it makes me feel really good about my mandolin playing :)

Good advice too for people who don't play the fiddle ;^) You think mandolin is hard?
Try this...

[A-board]

I frequently have a tune nagging at me. Then I feel compelled to give it a go, playing slower, faster, looping particular sections, creating my own variations on the melody, etc. If there’s nothing rattling around my head, I might skip a day. And there’s always a backlog of old lessons to pull up for review.

[yankees1]

Ride my bike, walk, hike ! Give the mandolin a break for several days !

[farmerjones]

I'm not much of a gadet guy, but i got a looper. It seemed somehow more organic than just a recorder. But that's really what it is. Lay down a guitar track, and play along. Recently learning electric bass. So i need something to follow. Mr. Looper is great. Btw, you need a pickup to play with mr. Looper.

[Mark Gunter]

If you play for a lifetime, I think you'll learn early on that plateaus will come so you accept this. Sometimes you need some time away from it. When you need inspiration, there are lots of ways to find it.

For me, inspiration comes by watching music documentaries, or music performances, that kind of stuff often makes me want to pause and play my own instruments. Also, just listening to music. The occasion will then come to wonder what kind of mandolin arrangement I could do of a song that grabs me. Then there's this tried and true method: Noodle around until you can write something new on your own, for good or bad. Or call a friend or a few friends to come over and jam with you. Or get out to a jam session or picking party.

Another thing is to develop a new practice routine. Ever come up with a practice routine? Probably you have tried to bring some order to your woodshedding, and if so, then think about changing it. Nothing's written in stone. Try something different for a while. And if nothing else works, as Pete Martin said, a few days off can work wonders.