Frustration during practice is something we all face. What can you do about it?
1) Check what you are telling yourself. Are you thinking things like, "I can't do it. I'll never get it. This is too hard. I'm so bad at this."? If you are, you're making it harder on yourself. You tend to believe what you tell yourself and you are setting yourself up for failure if you tell yourself those sorts of things. Instead, teach yourself to think things like "This is a challenge, what I can I do to make it better?" Then break it down, is it fingering? Rhythm? Not knowing what comes next? Look for the problem and solve it.
2) Let it out. Find a way to release the frustration. Stand up and stretch or do some jumping jacks. Play an angry song. Scream if no one will hear you.
3) Step away from it. Play a different thing you need to practice. Take a short walk (like down the hall and back).
4) Come back with fresh eyes. Many times the solution is obvious and you just need to look at it again with out the frustration clouding your vision.
How do you deal with frustration when you practice?
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