David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:
How to Deal with Frustration

Frustration is Bound to Happen

It goes without saying that when you practice music, you are trying to play things that you don’t currently know how to play. Practicing music is about taking musical information that is currently unfamiliar and slowly working it into something familiar.

Unfortunately, tackling unfamiliar topics is frustrating for most people, and musicians are no exception.

What if musicians expected to feel frustrated sometimes? If frustration is expected, then you won’t let it get the best of you.

4 Strategies for Dealing with Frustration

STRATEGY 1: Recognize that It’s Normal
When you begin to feel the slightest bit of frustration, you can recognize what is happening and nip it in the bud. You can say to yourself, “I’m outside of my comfort zone working on this new material. It’s no big deal. That’s what practicing is all about.”

STRATEGY 2: Move On
If you find that frustration is getting the best of you, then it may be time to move on to something new, maybe some music that is already familiar and fun. Or, just a different section of the same song. Just leave the source of your frustration behind. It’s probably a good idea to be switching often among all the various items on your practice list anyway. This process, called Interleaving Practice, is super effective for learning new material and for never giving yourself enough time to get frustrated with anything.

STRATEGY 3: Take a Break
If switching songs doesn’t do the trick, take a break. Yes, it really and truly is fine to walk away from the source of your frustration. When you feel calm again, return to the task and approach it with a fresh start.

STRATEGY 4: Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself
We must always remember that mastering a musical instrument is a process that takes time and patience. Be realistic about how much you can get accomplished at any one practice session. And, cut yourself some slack!

Give Yourself Time for Improvement

As David G. Myers says in his book The Pursuit of Happiness, “Although we often overestimate how much we will accomplish in any given day, we generally underestimate how much we can accomplish in a year, given just a little progress every day.”

Musicians need to be reminded of this pearl of wisdom at each and every practice session.

Don’t get frustrated. It’s not worth it.

To Your Musical Success!
David Motto