Why am I not getting any better?

Along our musical career it’s easy to get discouraged when we aren’t seeing the progress we expect. Frist you’ll want to make sure you are practicing efficiently. In past blogs, we have gone over the practice of practice, but if you’re taking those steps and spending hours a week on a piece only to not see the improvement you’re looking for, then there’s one important thing I want you to think about.

Improvement is not linear.

If you practice for 10 hours, that doesn’t mean you are now 10 hours better. Maybe your brain didn’t absorb as much as you would have liked. Maybe you’re not in the same headspace you were yesterday. Maybe your muscles are a little sore today. There are plenty of reasons why this might be the case, but the important thing to remember is that this is just how it is. There will be peaks and valleys but ultimately through perseverance, practice, and a whole lot of time, you will get better.

It’s critical to remember this because there will be times when we feel like we are worse than ever before. You used to be able to play that one scale at 120 bpm, but now you’re struggling to get it up to 90 bpm. We’ve all been there. These are the most dangerous times in your musical journey because this is where most people quit.

When climbing a mountain, not every step is higher than the last.

Keep practicing that scale, even if it’s worse than before. As long as you stick with it, I promise it will get better. Don’t be afraid to take a break for an hour or so and come back to what you were working on. Clearing your head can sometimes be half the battle.

We are our hardest critics. However, if we are too hard on ourselves, we might turn something we love into a burden that we hate. So, when that next slump hits you, I want you to remember this one little saying:

Improvement is not linear.