Persistence is perhaps the hardest part of doing anything in life. To keep at something, or to keep your head up when things don't go the way that you want them to, is very difficult for most everyone.
I'm sure we've all had days where things don't seem to be going our way, and we stick them out because we think, feel, or hope that something better is going to happen to make the less than pleasant stuff seem easier to bear.
Don't worry about if you missed that one chord during your last show. Try not to focus on how or why a note squeaked during that last concert. Why worry about a snapped string during a performance?
Overall, these things can be overcome. I find that the best way to push forward is to have a goal. Maybe you have someone you look up to who plays your instrument, or maybe you want to be like that one famous guy who has done so well for himself.
It is important, however, to remember that no one who ends up doing well at a sport, or activity, ever got to where they are by giving up, or by not trying.
It is said that it takes around 10,000 hours for any one person to gain a high level of proficiency at doing something. 10,000 sounds like a large number, but if you approach your practicing and playing the right way, those hours can really stack up.
One of my favorite ways to put some hours in is to just practice between 10 and 15 minutes at a time, several times a day. Most folks have a bit of time to spare throughout the day, so if you can spend that time practicing, or playing, even for those 15 minutes, you are one step closer to gaining those 10,000 hours of experience.
Something else to try, is to practice in unconventional ways. I don't mean hanging upside down by your ankles out of an airplane unconventional, I mean at times when you might not normally think you could practice.
Maybe as a brass player you can take your mouthpiece with you on your drive to work and buzz a few scales.
As a player that uses his or her fingers to create notes, practice your finger patterns in thin air or on a flat surface. That way your fingers are putting in hours away from your instrument which will help you to figure out what you need to improve when you are back near your axe (or horn, or baby, or whatever you end up calling your instrument).
Wind players can also practice their breathing anywhere they go to help improve lung capacity. If you can think of something you have to do to play your instrument, I'm sure you can think of some way to practice that without always needing to play.
All in all, we as musicians should always strive to overcome our difficulties and play that much better the next time. If you are a passionate musician, there will always be a next time to play, another chance to do better than the time before. As long as you can figure out where things went wrong and are willing to look for ways to make things go right, you will never miss out on an opportunity to grow musically.
What are some other ways you can practice to help make yourself better that may not involve using your instrument all of the time?
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