I am doing less playing in lockdown, am I on my own with this.

[Tenor Viol]

There is no denying it is definitely a struggle at present. I have certainly struggled this last week. The VE Day 75 street party helped on Friday. One of he neighbours made up little packages for all of us consisting of home. made scones with a little pot of jam.

 

[CliveMA]

Maybe this will help others. It is an approach I learnt to support running long distance every day for decades and I've adapted it to produce consistent practice on the saxophone.

We all have days when we don't want to play, though the reason may escape us. On these days of not wanting to practice, I have a sliding "scale" of activities and I commit to do at least step 1:

1. Get my sax out of its case (or pick it up if it is sitting on its stand) while listening to my current favourite sax music (currently goto music is Branford Marsalis, "La Valse Kendall").
2. Put a reed on the mouthpiece and do 2 minutes of mouthpiece exercises.
3. Assemble my sax and practice for 15 minutes.
4. Practice for 30 minutes.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ODYGs1H9Y
5. Practice for 1 hour.
6. Practice for as long as I want.

Each step feels like no commitment and gently leads me to enjoy and want more. Listening to Branford I want to play and the mouthpiece exercise is only 2 minutes. By then, I'm hungry to play the first few notes of "La Valse Kendall". Before I know it an hour has elapsed.

That's the carrot. There is also a stick. If I do miss a day (by not doing at least Step1 above), I must limit my practice the following day for a maximum of 15 minutes, then 30 the day after, 60 the day after etc. So, when contemplating missing a day, it seems much more than that will be missed. This is designed to get me to pick up the sax and listen to Branford. And I'm away...

What do you think? Could this help you?

 

[Hammie 1982]

Sounds like a sensible enough way of not missing days, and its similar to what ive done the last couple of weeks..... altho my punishment for unnecessarily missing a day of practice is no music!

I listen to all types of music while i do my daily tasks, but if i miss a days practice.... then i cant listen to music the next day

 

[Halfers]

Sounds like a sensible option to encourage some to pick up the horn. Whatever works best for you.

Personally, the idea of punishing myself for not doing something that is in essence an enjoyable pastime is not really an option. Besides, I'd be punishing myself more times than actually practising!

 

[GCinCT]

I have always found that if I put my horn together and blow a note, I will continue to complete a practice session. I'm in a really good place right now. I really enjoy practice and I often go to bed at night thinking about how the new day will bring another opportunity to practice.

 

[Uma]

I thought I would be doing more playing in lockdown but are finding that I am doing a lot less.
I am not missing playing and there are is no one stopping me from playing.
I think that because all my gigs are cancelled that there is no pressure on my playing, hopefully this will pass.

Is there others that are finding this or am I on my own?

I am playing less because the sound seems to travel more and I’m more aware of disturbing my neighbours. I live in a flat and we’re all cooped up with cabin fever so trying not to annoy people.

It doesn’t help that I am a beginner so probably don’t sound the best!!!

 

[sax panther]

I've actually started using a timer. If I sit down to do something purely relaxing and sedentary - watching TV, reading a book, playing on the Xbox etc, I stick a timer on for 45 mins or an hour. When that goes off, it's my prompt that I've lazed around enough and I have to go and do something productive, whether that's piano practice, sax practice, gardening etc.

 

[jazzdoh]

I have been playing more than the beginning of the lockdown, bought another mouthpiece (birthday present)so a bit more motivated hopefully in a couple of months the gigs will return and this will give us some form of back to normality, but I'm not holding my breath as it could be longer.

 

[Jazzaferri]

Other than a few video recordings Soul Source has made and posted online I have been working on redoing the garden. Practice has been a few minutes run through of the Chart and record my video on my phone.

 

[Veggie Dave]

a few video recordings Soul Source has made and posted online

Is Soul Source a band or the magazine?

 

[Jazzaferri]

Band

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=783LWcBuvDo

 

[Jazzaferri]

@Veggie Dave its just a fun band that performs half a dozen times a year for charity purposes.

we recorded our parts on our phones and Nick puts it all together. Been going for 6 years or so.

 

[Admitone]

Personally, the idea of punishing myself for not doing something that is in essence an enjoyable pastime is not really an option.

Easier said than done for me. After all, wWe're living in the Guilted Age.

 

[Halfers]

Band

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=783LWcBuvDo

That's not a band, it's the entire population of a Small Town!!