TromboneChat

After months of no rehearsals and no jobs. After months of just practicing. After months of not knowing if or when I would ever play in public again. I started to wonder if the effort I was putting in on keeping my chops up and maybe even getting better was worth it.

I haven't played played my horn in 5 days. Not sure if or when I will again.

Has anyone else hit this wall?

This is not The Wall. The wall is when you reach a "playing" barrier and, no matter what you do, you just don't get better. Most of us hit this several times throughout a playing career and solutions are various.

What you have is a loss of incentive. And I don't know what the key to ringing your bell overcoming that would be. But you can begin by finding out "why" you have that apathy. I get the feeling that much of your incentive comes from playing in ensembles. If you can learn the technology, you can share in duets to small ensembles with your friends.

Absent that, there are Play-Alongs you can use for stimulus. Music Minus One has a good range from pop to classical. There are other Play-Alongs you can use. If you want to practice/develop your improvising, the Jamey Aebersold Play-Alongs are a good place to start.

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/formats/ ... 67+3000093
http://www.jazzbooks.com/jazz/abpl

If interested in pop and jazz, Band in a Box is also an excellent and very powerful and flexible program.
https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.htm

It can be a good thing to take a break.

No wall - still learning and improving everyday I play. My incentives for playing by myself are varied, but inevitably include recording myself playing. It can be good to take a break, but if you need the incentive provided by ensemble playing record yourself playing duets, trio, etc. Trying to record in one take is worth the lesson itself, but it is a joy when you put it all together. For trios etc. try Audacity. it is free and relatively easy to use. Good luck!

We all take breaks for various reasons from time to time. You'll know when it's time to play again, Just be careful not to overdue it for the first few days "back in the saddle". It's easy to cause permanent damage if you aren't careful after a long break.

My last rehearsals were in early March. Recently I received the schedule for the local professional symphony’s 2020/2021 season. 2500 in a concert hall in Sept? I’m dubious.

I doubt any of my colleagues will be eager to crowd into a rehearsal hall until the infection rate is well under control, testing is commonplace, and effective treatments have been developed. I don’t see that happening this year.

But I continue to practice. That’s just what we, as brass players, do. I’m not ready to turn in my membership card yet.

I've hit a couple playing walls, and had enough time that I've overcome them as well.

I took a day off for my birthday last week, that was much harder than just continuing my practice regime!

I got a new (to me) bass a few months ago and was excited until the bands I was in quit playing due to COVID-19. I soon realized I don't like to practice at all... period. I enjoy rehearsals and performing, but the ensembles I play in aren't high quality and so I have no need to practice, I can just go to rehearsals and play. Yeah, I know if I practiced and got back some more of my game I could be in better ensembles, but I don't want to work that hard. The other day I was considering selling all my horns and giving it up but figured I might kick myself later if I did, so I'm thinking of selling off one or two of my small bores and keeping just one or two small bores, one large bore, and one bass.

I ran into this.
t first, I was excited to "Have time" to really practice for a change.
My performance schedule was extremely hectic, sometimes 2 or 3 a day.
Then I "Hit The wall". Why am I practicing so much ? for what? No gigs in the future at all, NOTHING!
I stopped playing for about 3 days. I took a good long look inside myself and asked myself
"Why did I want to play in the 1st place? Why have I played my entire career? Why did I want to become a Music Teacher?
Answer - Because in the 1st place I really loved playing my instrument.
So now I practice for ME not for the next gig
Also I double (Bass Trombone, BBb & Eb Tuba, Bass Trumpet, Euphonium, etc so If I get a little bored with Tenor I have other stuff to play but practice for you for the love oof the instrument NOT for the next gig

dukesboneman wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 7:03 am I ran into this.
t first, I was excited to "Have time" to really practice for a change.
My performance schedule was extremely hectic, sometimes 2 or 3 a day.
Then I "Hit The wall". Why am I practicing so much ? for what? No gigs in the future at all, NOTHING!
I stopped playing for about 3 days. I took a good long look inside myself and asked myself
"Why did I want to play in the 1st place? Why have I played my entire career? Why did I want to become a Music Teacher?
Answer - Because in the 1st place I really loved playing my instrument.
So now I practice for ME not for the next gig
Also I double (Bass Trombone, BBb & Eb Tuba, Bass Trumpet, Euphonium, etc so If I get a little bored with Tenor I have other stuff to play but practice for you for the love oof the instrument NOT for the next gig

Yup. This is not a wall, it's a mirror...check what you see...

Chris

Ref. incentive, and I realise it's varied, I practice to get better, so I can play what I want - which is more demanding than my present ability.

I still practice about 4-5 times a week and am spending time learning Cakewalk audio editing software. Also working on some of those group videos. I would rather practice than watch reruns of House, which is what my wife always seems to have on the TV. And I just bought a digital piano, so that will give me something new to stink at. If I run into a wall, I will knock that sucker down.