Do You Get Into A Practice Slump?

[crios]

If so, what makes you stop practicing and how do you psych yourself into resuming your daily routine? Curious.

For me I hardly ever get into a slump but when I do, or I find myself just going through the motions (mindless practice), I stop, sit and play - learn new grooves! I also try to create new, original lines over odd time signatures. You?

 

[StyleOverShow]

I vary my routine.

Basically three parts: strength and technique, scales and arpeggios; reading, old and new stuff; and ear training, playing along with the radio or streaming an artist. 45 minutes a day, more or less. The upright dominated my schedule for the first 9 months it was around.

When I slump, I do stuff I like more often. Playing along with the radio or tv never gets old for me.

 

[two fingers]

To me, a routine and a slump go hand in hand.

If I start to feel "bored" with bass, I mix it up a bit. Maybe I'll pick a current top 40 group and learn one if their songs. Maybe I'll take a couple of practice sessions and work on my picking by using a pick on songs that I have always played with my fingers.

The point is, there is too much out there to learn to get into a slump. Pick something you have never tried before and work it for a couple of days and see if that doesn't excite you. If it doesn't, at least it will make you appreciate what you were working on when you got into the slump.

 

[saabfender]

Sometimes briefly. If I don’t have new music to work on, I’ll get a little bored with the idea of practicing

If I get stumped for about a week, I’ll get a different instrument out and see if any point of technique will present itself. Then I’ll focus on that instead of just playing songs. When I can’t takes no more, I’ll set the iTunes on random and see if I can apply the idea musically.

I imagine guys with a dozen basses never get bored.

 

[crios]

Here a vid I just found...

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Every 45 days, whether I want to or not!