Feeling uninspired? Tips to rekindle excitement for music in 3 steps
There are days, weeks, or months when all of us lose the will to play our instruments. You’re not alone - every musician deals with this. The spark that we long for fades from time to time and it feels difficult to rekindle. The hard truth is that musical inspiration will ebb and flow throughout our lives. I have dealt with this dozens of times since I began my musical journey as a child, but I always find my way back to my passion and you can too.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE SOURCE
Ask yourself: Why am I feeling uninspired?
If you identify what’s holding you back, you’re one step closer to fixing it. It’s a lot easier to solve a problem when you can label it clearly.
Here are some common causes:
Not seeing fast enough progress
Not enjoying the music
Struggling with technical issues
Not feeling rewarded
Practicing technique for months without applying it (ie. getting to performing the pieces you learn)
Experiencing body fatigue or pain while playing
Feeling forced/policed by a parent or guardian (feeling like it’s not your choice)
Learning from the wrong teacher
Playing on a low quality instrument with an ugly sound
STEP 2: BRAINSTORM WAYS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE
Use this format for your brainstorming session:
I feel [insert issue], so maybe I should [insert possible resolution].
- I feel unrewarded from practicing, so maybe I should ask my parents to give me a treat after a week of successful practice.
- I am struggling with technical issues, so maybe I should ask my teacher to help.
- I feel like the music I’m learning doesn’t inspire me, so maybe I should ask my teacher to teach me a different music genre for a while.
- I feel like my teacher is not right for me, so maybe I should talk to my parents about trying out a different teacher.
Writing down ideas from your brainstorming session can help tremendously - you can clearly see issues and solutions in front of you. I’ll dive a little deeper into a few of these issues after discussing step 3.
STEP 3: TRY OUT THE SOLUTIONS YOU’VE WRITTEN DOWN
Now it’s time to put those brainstormed solutions into action! Experiment with different ideas and make note of those that seem to help.
NOT SEEING FAST ENOUGH PROGRESS?
This is arguably the most common cause of musical fatigue. When you begin learning a new instrument, you accomplish major, tangible improvements every day. The serotonin rush we receive in the early learning stages sets us up to believe that it will continue at this pace, but we soon reach the Plateau of Latent Potential. When we reach this stage, the hours of practice we put in seem to not make as big of a change as it used to. This is because the music is getting more complex; the techniques are more difficult; the fingerings are harder. It takes longer to see the improvement when the subject matter is harder. However, you are still improving, you just haven’t seen it yet. Don’t forget to commend yourself for working hard to reach your current level - remember when your very first song felt difficult? Go back and play that song and see how easy it is now that you’ve leveled up.
Read this short passage by James Clear:
“Imagine that you have an ice cube sitting on the table in front of you. The room is cold and you can see your breath. It is currently twenty-five degrees. Ever so slowly, the room begins to heat up.
Twenty-six degrees.
Twenty-seven.
Twenty-eight.
The ice cube is still sitting on the table in front of you.
Twenty-nine.
Thirty.
Thirty-one.
Still, nothing happens.
Then, thirty-two degrees. The ice begins to melt. A one-degree shift, seemingly no different from the temperature increases before it, has unlocked a huge change.
Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash major change… Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.”
Still feeling uninspired? More tips:
Listen to amazing pieces that feature your instrument.
There’s nothing more inspiring than to hear your instrument in action, playing music that enlivens the soul.
If your instrument is violin, listen to albums across many genres that feature violin. You may be surprised by which styles speak to you.
Here’s a brief list of violin music that inspires many people:
Classical recommendations: Vivaldi, “The Four Seasons”; Bach, “Concerto for two violins in D Minor”; Edvard Grieg, “In the Hall of the Mountain King”; Tchaikovsky “The Nutcracker”
Movie soundtrack recommendations: John Williams, “Harry Potter movies 1, 2, & 3”; Klaus Badelt, “Pirates of the Caribbean”; John Williams, “Star Wars”; Howard Shore, “The Lord of the Rings”; John Williams, “Jurassic Park”
Popular music: Lindsey Stirling, The Oh Hellos, The Beatles (“Yesterday”)
Folk music: Goat Rodeo Sessions, Hanneke Cassel, Natalie McMaster
Go to a local concert
See an orchestra, an ensemble, a pop group - any group that features your instrument! You’ll walk away wanting to immediately play your instrument.
Write your own music
Getting the creative juices flowing may inspire you. Need help? I have been writing and arranging for years and am happy to help.
Perform
Having an upcoming performance can pull you out of your funk and help you get focused. I perform at retirement homes around Austin - let me know if you’d like to perform and we can work something out.
Switch up the music you’re working on
While I prefer to predominantly teach out of my favorite method books, there are supplementary resources we can look into. From pop songs to duets, we can find something to add to the mix.
Play along with your favorite songs
Playing along to great songs feels SO good. Try it out.
Finally, check in with me.
My studio is a judgment-free space to discuss these issues. There is nothing wrong with feeling uninspired and I can help!
- Sarah
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