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Double Bass Motivation to Practice

Practicing can be like having sex with your significant other. You don't really want to start it all the time, but once you get going you wonder why you don't do it all day long.

I just tell myself "You only have to pick up the bass. If you stand up with it and then you want to put it down immediately and get back in bed, that's okay." Once I pick it up, I never put it back down before at least a half hour or so is up.

I do the same thing for riding my exercise bike. "You only have to ride the bike for five minutes. If you don't like it, you can stop." Once I get going, I always do the whole workout.
 
Firstly Ed's link is the best ever! It sums it up short and sweet!
So how I motivate myself? I don't have to! I practice in the morning, at night even when I am watching TV with my wife I play all the way through! She doesn't mind :) At night when I wake up because of the heat or something I go downstairs and have a glass of water and a play! If I don't play I research stuff here or watch jazz on Youtube! I say majority of my time spent around my bass one way or another! At work my job pretty flexible and I am either printing charts or watch DB stuff on the INTERNET! I reckon that its either in you or not! I was lucky to find a person putting up with me! For the past thirty years despite my parents always laughing at me saying when will I grow up! Also almost all my friends are musicians and we are in the same boat that is what binds us. And funny as it may be most my friends are single because partners come and go, being a good muso is only interesting for a short while! So for most my life rehearsal, night gig, pizza and red wine! I wouldn't change a thing! Nobody can force us to play, learn and get better but it is a road that once you on it long enough you don't want any other road!
 

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