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The Importance of Being Focused
By Ernesto | February 13, 2008
Focus is something very important in music. In everything, really. Whatever it is you want to succeed at, you have to be focused on what you want to achieve and on the current task at hand. But when you think about it, those two things go together. A lack of focus leads to a lack of drive…or as we normal folks call it, laziness.
I was thinking about how this affected one’s practicing. When I sit down without a clear idea of what I want to accomplish, my practice session devolves into mush.
However, even if you think you have a clear idea, it may not be what you need. An example of a clear and focused idea would be: "I want to be able to improvise over ‘How High The Moon’." OR "I want to play this piece up to speed."
An example of a not-so-clear idea: "Man, my playing blows…I need to get better." OR "I want to play hip lines like that guy playing last night."
The main difference here is that in the first example, the focus is on playing actual music. This motivates you because the end result is good-sounding music which, hopefully, gives you a warm fuzzy feeling when you play it.
The other example is all about the person thinking it. The desire is not to play music, but simply to be a better player in order to feel good about yourself. These are sneaky thoughts that we all get from time to time, but in the end they just distract you from your real goals.
One of the ways I recently started to keep my thoughts on track is to keep a journal of my practicing. Nothing big, just writing down what piece I’m working on, what I got down, where I’m still messing up, etc… This has been incredibly helpful in keeping me focused. Sometimes I also write little reminders like "Forget the flashy stuff, remember to practice tunes!", etc…
I guess the most important thing to remember here, is that it’s ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC, not us. And if we keep our egos in check, it can actually lead to greater improvement. That’s how it seems to work for me, at least.
Topics: Article, Practicing |
February 14th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
dude, i really dig this blog.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Thanks man.