BASS
FINDING MOTIVATION | Adam Nitti
I thought I would take a temporary departure
from my “Tone Talk” series to address a
• discouragement
from
watching
another
with your own ideas!
player you admire
challenge that a lot of us face – finding
1. If you mostly practice technique or pattern-
motivation to practice on a consistent basis. What I have learned over the years is that each based shapes like scales or arpeggios, start
The more motivated we are the more likely of us tends to operate in particular patterns focusing on the creative.
we are to succeed in any particular endeavor. when we practice. This should come as no When it comes to music and our bass-playing, surprise, because we are often taught to work EXAMPLES:
we need motivation to practice effectively out of routines and schedules in order to have • transcribing solos to train your ear
and stay on task. Unfortunately, different focus and direction. There is nothing wrong • sight-reading
circumstances and challenges can distract or with this approach, and routines help to keep • composing basslines or tunes
derail us from focusing on our practice goals. us on track; however, routines can get boring • improvising over chord changes
In those instances, we may find ourselves in a over time. For this reason, I have found that • playing along with some favorite songs,
motivational rut, not knowing how to get out of sometimes the quickest way out of a rut is it. What are the symptoms of a motivational rut? temporarily losing your routine completely. The
making up new lines for them
idea is not to abandon what you've learned so 2. If you mostly practice jazz and improvisation,
far, but instead change things up completely in try learning a new or less-familiar genre of
an effort to "re-ignite your fire." music, or a new technique.
• getting bored while practicing Here are some examples of things you can do EXAMPLES:
• practicing the same things over and over to help get you out of a rut and develop some • learn
• distraction (inability to stay on task) fresh new approaches. Of course, these are piece, such as a Bach cello suite or classical
• beating ourselves up for not improving just basic suggestions, so feel free to come up etude
Here
are
some
examples
that
I
have
experienced before:
• loss of desire to practice
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December 2019
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technically-challenging
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