motivation?

HumanClay · #1 03-14-2006, 02:49 PM

hey, (i wasnt sure where to post this, so i just put it here) i have been playing for a few years and am hoping to go to uni with bass, however over the last couple of weeks i have lost the motivation to practice... im really not sure why, i just dont seem to want to do it. So my question to you is, how can i get motivated again? ...

thanks heaps for you help

note: im from australia, and so we go to uni, i think for the people in america it is called college? not sure. Anyway, its the one after high school.

Ed Fuqua · #2 03-14-2006, 02:54 PM

Gee, I don't think I've ever heard of unmotivated teenagers before.

All kidding aside, when you say "practice", what are you talking about exactly? Are you currently working with a a teacher?

HumanClay · #3 03-14-2006, 03:10 PM

thanks for replying.
yes i have a teacher at the moment, by practice i mean like
2-3 hours a day. I know this sounds a bit strange for a school student to do, but seriously i have been doing it for about a year now, everyday. I run trough, scales, exercises, simandl i play alot of... that sort of stuff. just reciantly though i seem to have lost 'passion?' not sure if thats the right word to use.

Ed Fuqua · #4 03-14-2006, 03:27 PM

Perhaps I'm not being clear. I'm not asking how long you have your hand on your instrument, I'm asking you what kind of things you are doing when you say you are practicing. Long tones arco, the cello suites, orchestral excerpts, walking lines, standard melodies, improvisational exercises, ear training, sight singing, transcribing, etc etc etc.
1. don't wait for motivation, just pick up the bass and start
2. generally the problem is not enough time to get to everything and how you are going to divide your time.

It's not about motivation or fulfillment or meeting goals or being better or wiating until your life is perfect. It's just about picking up the bass and doing the work.

What does your teacher say?

tZer · #5 03-14-2006, 03:44 PM

Motivation is a tentative beast - but it can be tamed! There are a number of different ways to do so. A few that have worked for me are:

1. Joining a club/forum/support group - like Talkbass... reading about all these things 'bass' really makes me want to go home and play.
2. Hook up and play with interesting project groups - and, if possible, get into recording. It is one thing to be 'in the moment' it is quite another when that moment was really good and you can relive it by listening to it!
3. Watch and listen to players you admire.
4. Set a new challenge for yourself - one that is not too far out of reach, but would push you to a new level once you master it. It is a good thing to feel like you are making progress.

Good luck at Uni! That is cool... I am going to see if I can get that to catch on here in Missouri, USA.

--tz

HumanClay · #6 03-14-2006, 03:51 PM

thanks heaps of your advice, i will definatly impliment those things into my life

Marcus Johnson · #7 03-14-2006, 04:17 PM

Get yourself a thirty year mortgage. Worked for me.

HumanClay · #8 03-14-2006, 05:07 PM

lol, mmmm, that does sound motivating, but i might hav to give that one a miss

fdeck · #9 03-14-2006, 07:10 PM

Fear is a great motivator. Ask your teacher to help you start preparing for auditions.

When I was a teenager, what really got me motivated again was my teacher exposing me to some modern compositions.

KSB - Ken Smith · #10 03-14-2006, 07:19 PM

Working with the same melodic toned method can get tiresome. Try getting a Bille book but use the Simandl style technique when reading. Get the Eccles Sonata and work on that. See how well you do on your own. Then also get the Dragonetti Concerto. Try learning just the opening and then work on doing the entire first movement. Then you will see where some of this Simandl and Bille stuff gets applied and then some. Dragonetti played with Beethovan so when you play it, it may remind you of some of the Bass parts from the symphonies. It's a fun piece to learn along with the Eccles. The Simandl will look more like a warm-up book afterwards. Don't give up, get busier with it.

jallenbass · #11 03-14-2006, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Get yourself a thirty year mortgage. Worked for me.

Ain't that the truth!

HumanClay · #12 03-14-2006, 08:28 PM

thanks heaps, just wondering where could i buy the Dragonetti Concerto?