I’m going to spend hours practicing every day, I thought to myself all those weeks ago. It started off so well. With an electric drum kit at home and hand drums stacked up on every bit of available floor space I was geared up for the practice marathon. Everyday I played away, attacking studies, pieces, exercises and more. Then after a couple of weeks I noticed I was practicing less and less, my mind wandered and my heart wasn’t in it. What was going on? For years I had snatched practice time whenever I could in whatever space was available dreaming longingly of those days at the Royal College of Music when we spent hours playing every day. It must be me, I thought, it’s my fault, what an opportunity I’m squandering. But I spoke to some friends and it turned out it wasn’t just me. Other musicians were also oscillating between manic productivity and quiet despondence. One who, if she had a rehearsal in the afternoon and a performance in the evening would still put in a couple of hours of a morning, hadn’t touched her instrument in almost four weeks. Why?
There’s no point denying it, life has changed. Some days are great and I feel full of beans. Other days, not so much. Maybe you feel the same. I have a few theories on this. With no performances, no rehearsals and no exams, nothing to aim for, those who are goal driven have had the rug pulled from under them. On the flipside there are no opportunities to experience the pure joy of playing, of sharing something with musicians sat next to you. That unique joy can last a long time and propels me to the drums day after day. But it doesn’t last forever. Anxiety, questions, cabin fever, they all make playing and practice more difficult. So what to do? Here’s what I think. Unusual times, unusual practice.
Get on the mat
In yoga they say the most difficult position is getting onto the mat. Likewise some days the most difficult thing to practice is opening the instrument case. Go on do it, just play for a few minutes. Get that case open and you’ve already achieved something, you’ve made an intention and you’re only going to improve from here.
Go the gym
Another exercise analogy but practice is sometimes like going to the gym; you know it’s good for you and every time you go the fitter and stronger you get. And just as your arms will not get bigger unless you do those bicep curls, you will not play with such ease unless you can get up those scales and down those arpeggios. The weight, or in our case, the speed, doesn’t matter. What’s important is the form. The perfect press-up, even if it’s just the one, is better than twenty awful ones that ruin your back. A steady, perfect D Major scale is better than a ropey one at 150bpm. As you get better, increase the weight, increase the speed, but always keep good form. And when you’ve completed all your exercises you have every right to feel smug and satisfied. And to have that biscuit.
Be creative
I think this is useful in any practice session but now is a good time to take it to heart. Here’s my mantra: Don’t keep practicing the same things in the same way. To return to our gym analogy, just as it’s good for muscles to be exercised in different ways so is it good for our musical muscles to get the same. Play scales starting at the top; play your drum rudiments all at pianissimo; invent new scales that miss out every fourth note; play all your drum grooves with no cymbals; play an entire piece reversing the dynamics (pianos become fortes etc); make all straight quavers swung; play against a metronome ticking the off beat: play Bach hyper romantically; play the left hand part with the right hand (and vice versa and now try doing it at the same time!)… you get the picture. No one will test you on this and no one will criticise you if get it wrong or if it sounds awful. But your hands, fingers, arms, lips and brain will all get an amazing work out. It may even make you smile.
Explore unknown lands
With no performances or exams on the immediate horizon now is a great opportunity to explore new musical worlds. A great place to start is improvisation, something so many of us fear, an untamed world where anything can happen! But there you are, in your room, with no one to judge you; what’s the worst that can happen? Maybe you just play a few random notes, maybe you take a well-known tune out for a walk. You might want to study it more formally, in which case I think the Jamey Aebersold books are still one of the best places to go. However you approach it I guarantee that improvising will be both a musical and personal revelation.
If improvisation doesn’t float your boat delve into a different genre. There are new and old musical cultures in every part of the world just waiting to be explored. For guitarists there is flamenco; for pianists, ragtime; woodwind players might travel to the Middle East; for singers and percussionists you can pretty much put a pin in a map and find a rich seam of music you can enjoy. Don’t worry, you don’t need to become an expert, no one will test you. Have a nose around, soak up the scenery and spend as much time there as you like.
Set up a performance
For some playing around in the garden isn’t going to cut it, they need to climb the mountain. In which case may I recommend you start a brand new piece outside your normal experience. You could try learning something composed for a different instrument and adapt it to yours. You could try an unfamiliar genre or period, or there is always Bach; if in doubt turn to old J.S. Whatever you choose, get it up to standard and then perform it for your family, your friends or put it online. It’ll have to be good if you’re doing it in front of an audience so make sure you get that difficult rhythm spot on!
Don’t worry…
Anxiety is a real pain in the A minor, and there’s a lot of it about at the moment. It’s ok to feel sad or feel down that we are prevented from playing together. I know I do; I really, really miss it. But I promise you that in your future and in mine there will be performances, rehearsals (maybe exams!) and most importantly the opportunity to be with our friends, to play and share that unique musical joy. In the meantime keep that joy alive, and when that day comes and you can flex those new musical muscles just think how impressed everyone will be.
