You could be the most talented musician in the world, or someone who has a plethora of experience as far as this is concerned, but there’s still no guarantee that you won’t run into a wall at some point.
Now, this doesn’t need to be anything that’s too dramatic or that occurs fast. On the contrary, sometimes these things gradually and discreetly creep in, and suddenly, you begin to feel as if nothing goes your way.
You may get a feeling as if you do not have control over things, but the reality is you’re dealing with a plateau, which may not be the most pleasant occurrence in the world, but is far from “dangerous”.
Mistakes that are currently happening are nothing but obstacles that you’ll successfully overcome.
A Mistake No.1 – Practicing Without Having A Real Aim
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to this is practicing without having a specific goal. You cannot allow yourself to simply sit and play like it’s nothing more than a hobby. If you truly want to master this, then you need to make a bigger effort, especially if you do not have too much time at your disposal.
When there’s no right direction, practice can easily become repetitive, not allowing you to make any significant progress, which definitely isn’t something that any aspiring musician wants. This type of practice frequently looks like:
- You are playing the same old thing from the beginning to the very end
- You are not playing the most difficult parts, or at least not as much as you’re supposed to
All of this showcases that you are not willing to step outside your comfort zone and further hone your skills. The whole point of this mistake is to show you how essential intention is. The only way you’ll be capable of making any progress is if your practice has clear progress.
If you want to be the best version of yourself, then you always need to strive to learn as much as possible. Speaking of learning, lots of people tend to download and print sheet music online when they’re searching for the tools that are going to help them become better at a certain instrument. And that’s precisely what you should do, regardless of how talented and skilled you are.
A Mistake No.2 – Do Not Play Too Fast Too Soon!
Lots of people, both beginners and more experienced ones, have the tendency to play music at full speed as fast as they can. Although that isn’t the biggest mistake you can make, it also isn’t the smartest move.
How come, you probably wonder? Well, that’s because it oftentimes results in a sloppy execution. In these types of situations, your brain starts perceiving these mistakes as something that’s normal.
This is the moment when plateaus start. You suddenly feel as if you’re not making any progress, and that’s because you keep making the same mistakes. That’s precisely why it’s pivotal to begin slowly, and then gradually make progress. By doing so, you’re going to:
- Be a lot more precise
- Have much better control
- Boost your muscle memory
All of this is going to help you establish a solid foundation that’s going to enable you to add speed gradually. This isn’t something that’s supposed to be rushed.
Ignoring Weak Areas
Truth be told, humans are generally very fond of comfort, and when it comes to this, it means that they would rather concentrate on parts that they’ve already played than the ones that are completely unknown to them or appear to be too difficult.
And this surely isn’t a good idea because this causes an imbalance. Namely, in these situations, strengths are the ones that become a lot stronger, while weaknesses are totally overlooked and unchanged.
Yes, it’s completely normal if you feel frustrated when you cannot comprehend something easily, but keep in mind that the real progress occurs only when your weaknesses are slowly turned into your strengths. Everything else is nothing but stagnation.
The Entire Purpose Of Repeating
One of the most crucial things you can do during this journey is to repeat things as many times as necessary; however, what you need to understand is that this will be beneficial only if it’s done the right way.
So what do we mean by that? It means that you shouldn’t repeat mistakes because by doing so, you’ll only make things worse. This at times occurs when:
- A difficult section isn’t played correctly, yet you do it anyway, continuously
- You keep ignoring your mistakes because you want to finish a particular piece as soon as possible
- Your practice turns into something that’s automatic instead of attentive
And then you end up in a loop in which errors happen all the time, making you feel as if you are doing something useful and meaningful. Keep in mind that when a mistake occurs, it’s a sign that you should take a break, evaluate everything that you’ve been doing, and adjust.
Feedback Is Necessary
Even though it’s great when you practice all alone, it’s worth mentioning that this comes with blind spots, as well. So what does it mean? It means that the feedback is necessary because it’s here to show you where you’re making a mistake.
When you do not have any form of feedback, then you cannot be fully honest and realistic about yourself and your progress. Consequently, it’s pivotal to have an external input that’s going to help you become better. Feedback is generally always welcome and appreciated, and it normally comes from:
- Your mentor
- Teacher
- People you frequently play with
- Recordings of your own playing
It’s extremely important to hear yourself from a different perspective because only then will you be able to notice things that you haven’t noticed so far that could help you improve yourself.
When it comes to music, it isn’t only important to make an effort, but to have a good direction, too! Even though mistakes can happen to anyone, if you notice them, you should do your best to fix them, because that’s when real progress occurs.
