Motivation for practice

[Splendour]

As an amateur musician with a day job and too many hobbies, I've fallen out of the habit of practising at home.
However, with the latest coronavirus advice in the UK, all the bands I play with have cancelled rehearsals and performances for the duration, and I find myself going from playing for 6+ hours a week to 0.

My biggest problem with practising alone is motivation. Before I start trawling the web for ideas and inspiration I thought I'd ask you fine people what enthuses you in your practice routines?

[Geordie]

These things help me, using a metronome:-
Gradually and securely building range - up and down, longer notes;
Gradually extending length of long tones with good quality sound;
Gradually moving to the correct tempo in fast or challenging parts from a slow tempo;
Moving through exercises/books that get progressively more difficult;
Note progress so I see the improvements. The challenge for me is to remember that the barely noticeable short term gains accumulate to substantial progress over time.

[afugate]

Years ago, I mentioned I was having trouble motivating myself to practice. My friend, Dr. Irv Wagner, suggested I schedule a recital. And then he cheekily told me, "You'll find time to practice!"

--Andy in OKC

[Gary]

Paraphrasing:
"Practice is not something you like or don't like. It's just something you do."
Dave Liebman

[norbie2018]

The motivation comes from wanting to get better. It comes from the small wins you accomplish after every practice session. This of course assumes you're reflecting on the things you did well and the things that got better. Motivation comes from realizing that you're not good enough yet , but that you have the hope of accomplishing your goals. Motivation comes from the excitement of seeking those incremental wins and noticing, over time, the progress you've made.

[GBP]

We always practice alone. Groups rehearse. I look at practicing as a job. Some days it’s fun others days not so much, but you do it either way. About twenty years ago, I started taking lessons every week. Having that deadline really helped me focus and stay consistent.

[Bach5G]

I feel as if practicing is part of the deal. If you want to play, you have to practice. It’s not negotiable.

[sterb225]

Routine is the key. Given that you are replacing lost rehearsals, utilize those exact time slots for your practice as a starting point. Remember that concentrated practice is very different than playing a rehearsal with a group. Also consider your environment. If you are practicing in a brutally unforgiving acoustic or otherwise less than pleasant space, try switching up for a different room in the house. And keep a variety of things on your stand, familiar and fun, difficult but rewarding and lastly a little bit of stuff that might make you want to question playing the instrument at all out of sheer frustration. A few months from now you'll be sitting in rehearsal bemoaning the progress you could be making with that time because you're NOT in the practice room.

[lauriet]

One of my other hobbies is making Whiskey.
So I combine practice with whiskey drinking.
I look forward to practice.

[baileyman]

Yeah, metronome and other hobbies. The metronome in the garage starts in the morning and goes off at night. Up one tick each day. In between the guy out there screws parts onto his other hobby.

If you do not yet use a metronome, it will provide plenty of motivation through a private embarrassment. Just play some quarter notes for a full breath and see how well you do. Luckily, you will be the only one who knows...

[hyperbolica]

I would find some play-along things on the web or recordings you own. You might also invite a friend you trust who doesn't travel and isn't a social butterfly over to play duets.

When you're an amateur it matters less what you play and more that you Do play. You'll be bored after 30 metronome clicks, guaranteed, but playing with a friend, the time will fly by.

[Kingfan]

I didn't play outside of rehearsals. I got a new horn and decided to re-start my Remington warm-ups. I was amazed how much I improved in just a week! Incentive to keep going. That, plus somebody is starting a Chicago/BS&T/ Tower of Power band nearby and is looking for a trombone player. I had game 40 years ago, but not as much any more. Now I have a good reason to work back to my prior ability!

[Doubler]

I habitually work on whatever I'm the least good at, which makes for somewhat of a variety of of what I practice. The downside is that my wife always hears me at my worst, and the repetitiveness drives her crazy. I try not to focus on any particular thing for over a week, as I find that I can get only so far until I reach the point of diminishing returns. I do find that while touching on all aspects of playing, when I get back to a particular weakness, it has gotten better while I was working on other things. I believe that it's all interrelated, and focusing on one aspect of playing can strengthen other areas because of this.

When I get discouraged I back off a bit and also play stuff that's just fun. Isn't that what playing is all about anyway?

[SwissTbone]

Plan stuff that gets you out of your comfort zone!
- schedule a recital
- schedule a recording you will publish on youtube
- try to join groups with a higher level
etc.

[Grah]

Get Band-in-a-Box and then you can practice at home with some real top notch professionals.

[11561man]

I would find some play-along things on the web or recordings you own. You might also invite a friend you trust who doesn't travel and isn't a social butterfly over to play duets.

+1 on duets. Also, addressing our weaker areas IS rough at first, but the progress becomes increasingly fun to watch over time.

For me, I get a lot of peace of mind just KNOWING that I put in consistent time on the instrument. The same goes for my other hobbies. If nothing else, motivate yourself for that satisfaction of contentment.

[SimmonsTrombone]

I’ve found that scheduling a regular, daily practice time works better than relying on motivation.