Practising Tip #3 (Dealing with Frustration)

Practising could be a lot of a fun especially when you're trying to learn a challenging riff or an orgasmic lick. It doesn't really matter how difficult the practise material "should" be. If its hard for you, then its challenging even if it is a simple transition from Aminor to Eminor for example.

Regardless of how much fun practising could be, it often comes a great deal of frustration alongside. Yesterday night I felt so frustrated when practising I actually punched the pillow a couple of times to blow my steam off. I am not denying that I need serious psychotherapy but the frustration that may come with practising is real!

So anyway I thought of trying to come up with ways to overcome it which I hope you could also find relevant.

1) Be realistic. Playing an instrument is pretty much like weight lifting. Regardless of how many years you've been in the gym, if your record in bench pressing is 50 kilograms, it's wise not to try to lift a 100 kilograms. In other words, try to understand that playing technically demanding riffs is a result of a long process that won't happen overnight.

2)Unless your surrounding family members or friends are exceptionally tolerant, practise alone. Most people can't appreciate the endless repetition of an iron maiden riff.

3) If you have got the hang of the riff but need to repeat it gazillion times, I recommend doing it in front of TV. The point of doing that is not to feel the time passing by. For me just the mere idea that I need to repeat a riff for an hour fries my brain.

4) Separate life problems and practising difficulties. Mixing between the two will most probably make you end up punching pillows and chewing on your tongue.

5) Even if you've not nailed the riff just right, trying to do so will most certainely develop your picking, hand synchronization and sense of timing. So even if you've not seen a remarkable improvement yet, don't give up. Nothing goes wasted!

Do that and maybe you won't end up like me punching pillows, biting on your tongue and looking like this the following morning.