Practice

[40Hz]

I think it’s important to pace yourself and take a break every so often. Sometimes there’s only a fine line between dedication and obsession. Everyone learns at their own pace. And there comes a point where exhaustion can set in and an avoidance reaction gets triggered. And a subconscious aversion to what you’re attempting to accomplish often follows as a result. There is such a thing as too much sugar in your tea.

There’s a very old Zen story about the potential problem with over dedication to an activity that might be worth the few minutes it takes to give it a read. It’s called The Taste of Banzo’s Sword and you can read it online here if you're interested. I first learned about this story back in my college years when I began seriously studying Wing Chun along with some other martial arts forms.

 

[icarus88]

I think it should be something like this when it comes to practicing from the very beginning

 

[Fernando Costa]

Does not apply to experienced multi year advanced bass players. More like go on vacation a week and back in the saddle in a day tops. Most important thing to becoming a better musician is inspiration. Taking a week, or even more off and cultivating other interests is good for your overall musicianship and you return fresh.

The actual quote is a little different: Abandon your instrument for a day and it will abandon you for a week. It is attributed to John Coltrane. I prefer to believe him.