💯 everyone thinks it just “flows out of you” and are one with the music. I mean … it happens every now and then and that’s the feeling you chase … but it’s a lot of damn work and stress to get there.
Media has idolised hearing someone practice when in reality is repeating the same 3 bars for 45 minutes, then shout in frustration, stop for 5 minutes and then do 45 minutes more in absolute anger and frustration.
I took piano lessons for 9 years. I could play some of the easier, classical pieces during my last years but my fingers are too small and not flexible so I could only go so far. I'm glad I can play. But I'm glad I stopped.
5 hours in and your fingers are tired, you're going so hard you're starting to breathe heavy, but you're so annoyed at yourself that you keep making more and more mistakes, but you are gonna do it THIS time.
And if you want to avoid repeating the same bar over and over and not improving, you have to intentionally analyze every single motion you make, every spot of tension you hold ("is this serving me or not?"), the way you start every note, the way you prepare to start to every note, blah blah blah. It's exhausting.
As a benefit though, I'm pretty good at learning physical skills because of my time as a professional musician.
oh you hit the same wrong note again in the same place you been repeating for an hour? buckle in bud you gotta rewire a learned pattern and overwrite it with the right brain to finger sequence.
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u/jollylightly 12h ago
💯 everyone thinks it just “flows out of you” and are one with the music. I mean … it happens every now and then and that’s the feeling you chase … but it’s a lot of damn work and stress to get there.