You've been practicing diligently for months and, while you seemed to be making progress at first, you now feel you're in a slump. You've hit a plateau and you're just not improving the way you think you should.
There's a wonderful quote from Pablo Casales, the great cellist. When he was asked, at age 92, why he practiced every day, he replied, "Because I think I'm making progress." Casales knew that it takes regular, consistent practice to move forward. He also knew that progress is incremental and not always obvious, and that, even at age 92, there were still things to work on, things to learn.
Much of our musical development happens behind the scenes and may not show up in our playing for some time. Equally important is to realize that there are many factors involved in making progress. Plateaus in your playing are normal -- as are frustration and disappointment -- so you need to learn to take it in stride and not get discouraged. Also, self-doubt is sometimes a by-product of making progress; it even can be a symptom of getting better.
It's difficult to gauge our own progress. We're too close to it, and change can happen so slowly that we're inclined to not notice it. And sometimes we're unfair as judges: too critical, too hard on ourselves.
The first question I would ask is whether you're practicing things that will move your playing forward. It could be that what you're working on is not relevant to what you'll actually be playing. Are your expectations reasonable given your available practice time? Are you practicing enough to get you where you want to go. Or maybe your idea of practice is to just mess around. Spending free time on the drums yields many benefits, but it is not directed practice. You need both.
Are you working on the things that matter? When we talk of getting better at drums, too often we’re thinking of more and faster. More licks, faster hands, trickier fills. And yet how much of our actual playing calls for these skills? Many drummers spend hours playing sticking exercises but neglect other basics of drumming. Your practice schedule should include all of the skills expected of a drummer.
So lighten up. Review your goals and how your practice schedule addresses those goals. It may help to get a second opinion from a trusted musician or teacher. And have faith that the process is working despite how you may currently feel about it.
Suggested further reading:
Drum
Set Rudiments Part I: A Musical Foundation
Drum
Set Rudiments Part 2: Technique
No comments:
Post a Comment