Practicing yourself into a plateau - how to avoid this.

[polishpaul]

I've noticed that I improve on something I'm working on if I give it a miss for a few days. It seems the brain processes stuff by itself while you get on with other things. So once you've reached a point in an exercise or whatever where frustration starts to creep in, try laying off it for a spell.

 

 

It's always the same when I give something a break - when I come back to it after a few days, it's a LOT easier than it was when I decided to give it a rest.

 

I think practicing something for too long can result in your getting very good at playing the thing imperfectly, and getting the feeling that you have "plateaued" () on it. I can reach a point where I reach the limit of my current technical capabilities, and from then on I'm just reinforcing mediocrity.

 

All you need to do is write a timetable so you can see when you have to go back to something you've given a rest for a while. A little organization means you can have a few things on the go, in rotation.

 

By temporarily ditching a musical endeavour and moving on to something fresh, one avoids that "plateau" effect. Give this a go - you might be pleasantly surprised with the results!

[jonfinn]

Paul,

I like your suggestion. Taking a few days off does help and it's true that the brain processes while you're doing other stuff. I don't always have the luxury of time. Many times I'm in situations where I'm given the music today and expected to perform it tomorrow. My approach to plateaus is a little different: If I've hit a plateau, practice differently. Relax. Apply patience and determination.

[RockViolin]

Actually, I've met very few plateaus that could last a day against effective metronome practice. And I agree with Jon. When you've had a pile of music dropped in your lap, there is no plateau. And there's no time to allow a few days down to reorient one's perspective, or to allow some sort of osmosis to happen.

 

Plateau or no, it's important to take breaks. The sharpest edge doesn't stay that way long, and a fresh mind is of course much more able to consider alternatives, to break things down, take them apart, and put them back together- gaining a new understanding in the process.