Here's How You Can Work Through Frustration in Practice
Jun 11, 2024
Eleanor
Feeling stuck during your practice sessions? You're not alone. Today we are diving into what to do with frustration in practice. Because, let's be honest, we don't have time to carry it around!
Feeling stuck during your practice sessions? You're not alone. Today we are diving into what to do with frustration in practice. Because, let's be honest, we don't have time to carry it around!
You know the feeling. You are practicing, working on something over and over and over again, and it just doesn't seem to be sticking. You are trying so hard and it's just not working. The sense of frustration then creeps in and, slowly but surely, you feel like you are consumed by it. Oh, we all know this feeling, but let me let you in on a little secret. This feeling is completely normal. Every musician in the world has felt this feeling. So how do we work through it? How do we deal with it? Well, let's dive right in.
Speaker 1:
Hello and welcome to the Confident Musicianing Podcast. I'm your host, eleanor, and after countless practice sessions, a ton of broken reeds and seven different music school acceptances in three different countries, I have learned a thing or two about savoring your practicing, becoming your best practice companion and actively working towards your musical goals, and I want to share this with you because I want you to become your best musical self. Are you with me on this? Let's get started. Hey there and welcome. We definitely have experienced even a little bit of this at some point. The question is what do we do with it? Let's get started.
Speaker 1:
Frustration is a hard feeling, but it's a normal feeling, especially for musicians and learning to be familiar and friendly with it is so important. I remember one time I was practicing for an audition and there were some runs that were just not working. It is always the runs, I swear. I played them slowly and then faster and even did the trying a different read thing. It just seemed like nothing was working. I remember sitting on the floor of the practice room and just thinking okay, I have two options. Either I keep at it right now and get more and more frustrated because, like I'm already very frustrated, or I focus on calming down and try again later. Spoiler alert the second one worked. So the first thing we have to do is understand that this is normal. The thing about frustration is that it is normal. I remember when I first started making reads and my teacher casually said you know you're gonna go insane and it was a joke, but the validity that there is frustration in it is true and it's normal for every single musician.
Speaker 1:
Think of your favorite classical musician. Maybe it's a soloist like Hilary Hahn, or an orchestral player, whoever it is. Picture them in your head. Maybe they're playing on a stage or standing while there is applause. And let me tell you they know frustration. They have dealt with it and they have learned to grow with it to get to where they are now. If they can do it, so can we.
Speaker 1:
So the second thing to think about is to let it wash over and don't hold it down. If you stub your toe, let's say, if you stub your toe, it is really painful, right, but you have two options. Either you can let your body get all tense as you try to push the pain away, or you can relax and let it wash through you. If you have tried both ways, you know that the second one makes it so that the pain is there just for a second, but it's gone before you know. And if you haven't tried that way, I suggest you try it.
Speaker 1:
So let's do that with frustration as well. If we push the frustration down and get all tense in the practice room, that frustration is not going anywhere. In fact, that would probably make it bigger. Instead, greeting it and letting it run through you can help it run its course, and then it might not feel as big. So next time you feel like that, try it, just relax. You know, with the frustration, just relax. Just relax like physically, like just relax every part of your body, just relax and be like I feel frustration. Frustration is here, frustration is here and just let it be there and breathe through it rather than pushing it down, because pushing it down and being tense will only make it grow. So instead greeting it and letting it run through, you can help it run its course and then it might not feel as big. So next time you feel that frustration, instead of bunching up and getting all tense and being all annoyed and, you know, even physically, like you might have your shoulders up or you might feel tense try to relax, take a few deep breaths and realize there is frustration here and that's okay. That's okay. This is a part of the whole process. Frustration is part of it, and just kind of letting it run through you, letting it run its course and being just relaxed, can really help it to not grow into a crazy monster, like it probably would if we kept trying to push it down.
Speaker 1:
Let's take a quick break from working through frustration and chat a little bit about musical inspiration. You know that you and I both need that little bit of musical motivation sometimes. I mean we all do. That is why there is the Spring Roundup, full of fun and inspiring musical motivation that you get right in your inbox. It is perfect for that little boost that we all need From inspiring Instagram reels from musicians to your new favorite practice pencils, all the way to a podcast recommendation that will inspire you to listen to more classical music in a new and insightful way. I mean, heck, yeah. So if this sounds like you or something you need because, let's be honest, we all do need it sign up and get it in your inbox. Check the show notes to sign up.
Speaker 1:
The last thing is just to stop and take a break. This is so important. Sometimes we just need to pause. Just pause, because sometimes frustration is there and we are in the practice room and it's oh, it's so big and it's so tense, and just putting your instrument down and taking a quick break can be the most productive way to working through this frustration. So get outside, take a walk, do a hobby, something to take your mind off of it and then come back later. More often than not, as you are taking that break, you are letting your brain rest and that can help it to come back better when you practice again. And if this makes you feel like maybe you've messed up or failed in your session, because sometimes we do feel like that when we take breaks. Remember rest is important and productive. I mean we dive right into that in episode 23,.
Speaker 1:
Human first, musician second how to set boundaries and take care of your mental health as a musician, and in that we chat all about how you can prioritize your resting and yourself as a musician. So if that sounds like you because I mean, let's be honest, we all need this from time to time Make sure you go check out the show notes, because it is right there. All right, let's do a quick recap. The first thing is understanding that it is normal. This is normal for every musician. Frustration is normal, it's perfectly fine, it is a part of the whole thing. It is normal.
Speaker 1:
The second thing is to let it wash over and not kind of hold it down, just like if you stub your toe and then you really tense your body. It feels more painful than if you just let it wash through you. Frustration is the same thing. So next time you feel frustrated, try to unclench your jaw, un, you know, clench your shoulders and just be relaxed and let that frustration wash through you. Notice that it's there, welcome it and let it wash through you because, after all, it's just a sensation, it's just a feeling, and the last thing is to take a break or take a pause.
Speaker 1:
If you need to do this, just get outside, take a walk, do a hobby, even if it's for five or ten minutes in your practice session, or if it's for longer, if you need it. Taking that break can be so beneficial, and we go right into that in episode 23,. So make sure you go check that out. All right, that's about it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. As always, the things to do with this episode will be in the show notes, from the blog post that goes with this episode to episode 23,. Human First, musician Second how to Set Boundaries and Take Care of your Mental Health as a Musician, all the way to the spring roundup, full of musical motivation that we all need. Make sure that you do yourself a favor and look at these show notes because, let's be honest, there's some really good stuff in there, and if you want to show your love and support for the Confident Musicianing podcast, make sure you give it a follow and I will see you in the next episode. Bye.