Are you over practicing your instrument?

Can you over practice an instrument?

Over-practicing an instrument is a very real thing. Not only can over-practicing result in physical injury but it can also manifest in depression and burn out. Neither of which will help you overcome obstacles or reach your peak as a musician. Like in any physical endeavour, playing an instrument takes dexterity, perseverance as well as endurance, but often over practicing your instrument can result in a 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards mantra.

Over Practicing A Instrument

Over Practicing A Instrument

Slow and steady wins the game, and this is also a good way to look at your practicing time. Of course you do need to put in the hours if you want to advance, but over practicing may take you away from other important aspects of your life, and when the balance is off, music and practicing your instrument may be a leading cause in making you miserable.

Parents should note that every extracurricular activity deserves the same amount of attention. It’s impossible to raise a well-rounded child if they are devoting all of their free time to their instrument, and even the most talented musician might become burnt out by it.

Overdoing it is rarely a good idea for adults learning any instrument because they must arrange practice time into their schedules. Virtuoso Jascha Heifetz said that he never put in more than three hours of practice every day. But even so, that’s a significant amount. He asserts that too much practice can be just as harmful as not enough practice.

No matter how many hours you spend honing your instrument, if you practice mindlessly by rote, you’ll never improve. In addition to not producing the desired outcomes, practicing in this manner may result in the following issues:

  • You reinforce the poor habits you are trying to break.
  • You get less confident since you don’t make consistent improvement.
  • It’s dull. In order to advance, musicians must set specific goals for their performances.
  • You waste your time.

Rather focus on using deliberate practice methods which result in effective outcomes. Students should adopt productive practice techniques and generally limit their practice sessions to no more than two hours each day, six days a week. Don’t practice the mantra “No pain, no gain”! Don’t ignore the alerts your body sends you. Stop practicing if your hands begin to cramp and you continue to feel stiff and sore in your joints, neck, or back. The presence of pain is a sign that you are injuring yourself, and the damages can be severe.

Always warm up before play or practice just as you would if you were performing other physical activities. Consider doing yoga and other strengthening or stretching practices to keep your body in top shape and avoid injury. Setting and achieving practice session goals is more important than the length of time.

Many musicians advise taking breaks. Developing a routine such as taking 2 hours between a final practice and performance. Over-practicing and “being in your head” are real things. As you repeatedly practice, you become aware of the areas where mistakes are most likely to occur. When performing that section, you become tense, which increases your likelihood of making a mistake. As you continue to play, you are still thinking about the error, which makes you play worse and make even more faults.

Instead of simply repeating the piece, try to identify and make a list of the mistakes you’re making. Then, set aside time to work on each one. Retract your steps from anything that isn’t working. Giving it a break for a few days and focusing on something else can be beneficial at times. During practice, approach problems with a few key techniques:

  • What exactly is wrong?
  • Examine why it’s incorrect?
  • Look for solutions to the issue.
  • Apply the solution.

You won’t succeed if you practice too much or in the incorrect way. However with purposeful insightful practice you can cut down practice sessions and achieve the same goals. Sometimes over practicing can feel like “two steps forward, one step back” but with good practice techniques you can overcome this and avoid burnout, depression or anxiety related to playing, get back to  your instrument and achieving your musical goals.

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